Readers will be amazed by the weight of the bottle in which the 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard is packaged. This 500-case cuvee of pure, unbridled, powerful Cabernet from the volcanic hillsides above Napa Valley boasts a dense purple color as well as a tight but promising bouquet of creme de cassis, minerals, loamy soil, and toasty oak aromas. While not the blockbuster it can be in such ripe vintages as 1997 or 2001, the 1999 possesses beautiful fruit, outstanding purity, and moderately high tannin. Even though it is not gigantic by California standards, it is a bigger wine than the 1999 Insignia. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2020. Tel. (707) 963-2745; Fax (707) 963-4831

Readers will be amazed by the weight of the bottle in which the 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard is packaged. This 500-case cuvee of pure, unbridled, powerful Cabernet from the volcanic hillsides above Napa Valley boasts a dense purple color as well as a tight but promising bouquet of creme de cassis, minerals, loamy soil, and toasty oak aromas. While not the blockbuster it can be in such ripe vintages as 1997 or 2001, the 1999 possesses beautiful fruit, outstanding purity, and moderately high tannin. Even though it is not gigantic by California standards, it is a bigger wine than the 1999 Insignia. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2020. Tel. (707) 963-2745; Fax (707) 963-4831

Even at this price, most of the 400-case production is already snapped up. Nonetheless, this is great Cabernet. Incredibly plush, ultrafeminine, with all the bells and whistles of a hallmark wine. Flavors lean toward cherry, blackberry, plum, strawberry, toast, vanilla, anise, herbs, spice and chocolate. It’s all couched in velvety, smooth tannins and a finish that doesn’t stop. Cellar Selection. —J.M.——J.M.(2/1/2003)—— 96