The 2013 Matriarch, which may well be the finest Matriarch made to date, could easily stand on its own as a single-vineyard offering. Made from the odds and ends of the single-vineyard wines, nevertheless this is pretty great wine, and I joked with the winemaking team that maybe their selection process was too draconian. Dense purple, with notes of mulberry, blackberry, chocolate, cocoa and espresso, the wine is dense, full-bodied, opulent, and a total hedonistic turn-on. Drink it over the next 20-25 years.

A dark, brooding wine, the 2013 Matriarch is almost too serious for a second wine. Dark blue and purplish fruit, spices, mint, licorice and lavender all open up in the glass, while firm tannins give the 2013 its contours and overall shape. The Matriarch is a terrific example of just how good the vintage is across all levels.