Swanson Vineyards, Alexis, 2009

Tasting: Napa & Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon

Dense black fruits nose, lavish, with well-judged oak. Very rich, opulent, concentrated and fleshy, with big ripe tannins. A forthright style with a lot of oak, but the tannins are ripe and there’s just enough acidity to carry the fruit through to a decent finish. It’s not very nuanced, but it delivers a lot of fruit. Quite long

Tasting: Napa & Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon

A very ripe style Cabernet, this wine shows a lot of dark fruits.The alcohol is too high for me and as a result I found it unbalanced.

Tasting: Napa & Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon

Deep ripe fruit with the merest hint of parma violets. Quite alcoholic and powerful. Although this is very attractive and fruit-driven, it seems a bit dominated by the alcohol.