The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon C.C. Ranch is a wine of real breadth and dimension. All of the natural power of Rutherford comes through in a Cabernet that is impressive from the very first taste. Black cherry, dark chocolate, licorice, cloves and scorched earth all open in the glass. Sumptuous, bold and powerful, the 2018 C.C. Ranch is superb in this tasting.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon C.C. Ranch is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and was aged in French oak, 48% new, for 18 months. With a deep garnet-purple color, it comes skipping out of the glass with bright, cheery scents of ripe black cherries, mulberries and crushed black currants with suggestions of chocolate box, menthol, lavender and plum preserves. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is completely coated with crunchy black berry layers, supported by fine-grained tannins and a lively backbone, finishing long and fragrant.

The toasted oak adds a note of salt to the gravelly texture of this 100% varietal wine. It is tight and youthful in tannin and weight. As it unwinds in the glass, it reveals a structured plushness of rich black cherry and currant.

All Rutherford Cabernet, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon C.C. Ranch offers up a juicy, unevolved bouquet of mulberries, blueberries, sappy green herbs, graphite, and a touch of earth. This carries to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated 2018 with good purity, present yet integrated tannins, and outstanding length. It's a little rough around the edges at the moment, but it's going to come together nicely for 2-4 years of bottle age and evolve for 15 years or so.

Plump and friendly, with a core of warm plum and cassis sitting atop a rounded structure while notes of licorice root and roasted cedar fill in through the finish, adding nice contrast. Best from 2021 through 2030. 4,436 cases made.