The annual pilgrimage to our friends for the 4th of July always includes a handful of wines from the cellar to go with the traditional Shish Kebabs on the 3rd. Unfortunately this year was slightly different as we lost power in our home for several days and decided to just throw kids, dogs and wine bottles into the cars and head south. This emergency measure meant no painstaking decisions, no chance to go for the traditional vertical of wines- just a grab and go. The Burgundy I just wrote about was one on the casualties of our hasty retreat, and so was this bottle. I had planned on Silver Oak, some older Bordeaux and some New World Pinots. Irrelevant- I ended up with this mouthful of Napa Cabernet. Delicious, smooth and balanced. Mouthfuls of dark black and blue fruit were interlaced with a good tannic structure. When I say mouthfuls, not fruit bomby, just gobs of lavish fruit that make you salivate for more. A great finish ends the experience that is quintessential Napa Cab. With such youth, this bottle holds promise for more maturation and a long life. Just approaching maturity, I would imagine 2020 before it starts downhill, hopefully with a bagful of secondary flavors having emerged. 5 stars and a 91 pointer. Salut and Happy Independence Day!