Located on Silverado Trail, across from Tench, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard is a superb example of its eastern Oakville site. Classic cassis and cigar box notes are joined by touches of vanilla, sage and bay leaf on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied, structured and tannic, with a firm, dusty finish that lingers effortlessly. This year, the blend is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec, all (as usual) co-fermented and aged in 100% new French oak.