The 2006 Padrone is composed of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Chocolate truffle, black currant, espresso roast, tobacco leaf, and subtle oak aromas soar from the glass of this deep, saturated purple-colored 2006. The wine possesses terrific fruit purity and intensity as well as a full-bodied mouthfeel, and a dense, concentrated finish with moderately high tannins. This is a big, muscular, impressively endowed wine that should age effortlessly for 25 years or more. This is one of the strongest line-ups I have tasted from Ray Signorello’s winery off the Silverado Trail in southern Napa Valley. Tel. (707) 255-5990; Fax (707) 255-5999

Dense, tight nose of minerals, stones, crushed rocks, blackberry, spices and red apple. Linear palate. Crushed granite tannins, grippy.

($110; 83% cabernet sauvignon, 12% merlot and 5% cabernet franc) Bright, deep ruby-red. Superripe aromas of cassis, espresso and tarry, chocolatey torrefaction. Fat, silky and densely packed, with liqueur-like berry flavors complicated by gamey and rocky nuances. This very ripe, lush wine really saturates the palate with flavor. Finishes with big, broad, tongue-dusting tannins and a surprisingly restrained sweetness.

Lots of voluptuous softness in the mouth, like velvet gliding over the palate. But you’ll also experience serious tannins that hit midway, creating a lockdown astringency. Evidence of ageability lies in the massive core of blackberries and cassis, as well as the overall balance and tang of acidity on the finish. This Cabernet Sauvignon-based Bordeaux blend should hit its stride after 2012 and continue for many years.——S.H.(12/31/2009)—— 94