2021 Conn Creek Cabernet Sauvignon AVA Series Diamond Mountain District Napa Valley

Heady blackberry fruits, candied violets, toffee, and toasty cedarwood with hints of caramel all pave the way for this well-endowed, rather opulent Diamond Mountain Cabernet. For all its youthful exuberance on the nose, it reveals a more tamed version of itself on the medium-bodied palate. It settles into a fresh, lifted, pointed wine redolent of black cherry, spiced plums, black currants, cassis and graphite minerality. Fine-grained tannins are abundant, with a chocolaty quality, and those candied violets reemerge on the extended finish. Founded in 1973, Conn Creek Winery is situated on the eastern side of Napa Valley, just off the Silverado Trail. Best known for its Bordeaux-styled wines, Elizabeth DeLouise-Gant has been winemaker since 2017. Previously, she worked at Beaulieu Vineyard, Tamber Bey, and Stag's Leap Wine Cellars.

Coming from the Diamond Mountain region of the Valley and all varietal, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain District has a saturated purple hue as well as a wild nose of blackcurrants, licorice, roasted herbs, and chocolate. It's a big, full-bodied, richly textured and concentrated effort that's well worth your time and money. It should have at least two decades of overall longevity, if not more.