Stag's Leap Wine, Cellars Cask 23 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2018

Even at a young age, the Cask 23 shows clearly what it is: a blend of the choicest portions of the Fay and SLV vineyards. It displays Fay's wonderfully vibrant and honest morello cherry aroma, along with toasted spices, a waft of woodsmoke and pencil lead. It has the immediate succulence and completeness of SLV, harnessed to Fay's restraint and elegance. It is indeed the perfect combination of the two - bravo! With fabulously refined texture, it is graceful, fine and pure, with such persistence of flavour that one sip can last for a minute or more. Even though this has an exceptionally long life of 3-4 decades ahead of it, it is easy to appreciate at this early stage.