Clos du Val Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Powerful but sleek, this impressive wine boasts a dark color, potent black cherry and dark chocolate aromas, and a slightly restrained palate. Firm tannins cloak the black fruits, cedar and char flavors. The wine's agile balance and elegant feel will reap rewards with time. Best from 2027-2037.

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is fabulous. Rich and sumptuous to the core, the 2021 will be a very easy wine to drink now and over the next decade or so. Succulent dark cherry/plum, spice, rose petal and mocha are all dialed up. Silky tannins wrap it all together in style.

Clos du Val's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Malbec and 1% each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Hints of thyme and sage accent cassis and cherries on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is on the fresher, leaner side of that spectrum, framed by fine-grained tannins and finishing with a strong note of mocha. It's a solid, all-around effort at what is a realistic price for Napa Valley.

Moving to the reds, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon (mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, with 7% Merlot, 5% Malbec, and splashes of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot) has lots of varietal black fruits, cedar pencil, and tobacco notes as well as medium-bodied richness, building, slightly firmer tannins, and a good finish. Well-made, it has the vintage's pure, focused, structured style and is perfect for enjoying over the coming 7-8 years, if not a decade.