The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Rennie Reserve comes from one of the estate’s finest parcels in the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains in St. Helena. Named for the winery’s founder, this deep ruby/purple-hued Cabernet offers sweet black cherry and black currant fruit intermixed with a note of that loamy Rutherford dust. Full-bodied and powerful as well as elegant, pure and spicy, this supple-textured, forward 2008 builds incrementally in the mouth. Already drinking well, it should age for at least two decades. Tel. (707) 963-5711; Fax (707) 963-7518

A really rich Cabernet, jam-packed with blackberry, cherry, raspberry and mocha flavors that are slightly sweet, with a brown sugar taste. The sweetness comes from the caramelized oak, not residual sugar, but the wine does have a candied quality. A bit rustic now. Give it 5–6 years and try again.——S.H.(7/1/2011)—— 89

A wine I had not seen before is the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Rennie Reserve, which comes from a different block of their Rutherford holdings, located on the valley floor rather than the hillsides. This block of vines has been the foundation for Flora Springs’ 20th and 25th Anniversary offerings. The 2007 Rennie Reserve reveals beautifully sweet blackberry and black currant fruit, incredible charm and suppleness, and perhaps the most endearing and seductive personality of all these 2007 Cabernets. It is drinkable already, and I suspect it has two decades of life ahead of it. The wine is impeccably balanced, opulent, and voluptuous with loads of red and black fruits kissed gently by toasty oak, licorice, and spice box. A beauty!One of the most impressive portfolios from Flora Springs that I have tasted has emerged from their extensive vineyard holdings. Flora Springs’ single vineyard offerings are all 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with somewhat limited availability production ranges from 370-400 cases of each.Tel. (707) 963-5711; Fax (707) 963-7518

What a wonderful wine. So pure, so fine and so Bordeaux-esque, like a fine young Margaux that needs time. Made from 100% Cabernet grapes, it shows classic blackberry and black currant flavors, beautifully oaked, with smooth, polished tannins and a fleshy mouthfeel. A feminine wine, it has great charm now, and should develop in the bottle for many years. ——S.H.(6/1/2010)—— 95