2018 VON STRASSER CABERNET SAUVIGNON DIAMOND MOUNTAIN, NAPA VALLEY CALIFORNIA

Rudy von Strasser’s latest blend, from a range of sources on Diamond Mountain, is a knockout. Since he sold his estate vineyard, he has rejiggered this wine; for 2016, he focused on the most concentrated lots in his cellar. The wine has a range of fresh wild-berry flavor, clean, pure notes of blackberries, mulberries and blueberries that completely saturate the earthiness of the tannins. The fruit incorporates those rocky tannins into an overall impression that’s gentle and rich. Fresh, floral and substantial, this is approachable as a young wine and beautifully balanced for a long life ahead.