The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon-Grand Vin opens with a rush of dark red fruit, flowers, spices, new leather and licorice. It is an extremely classy wine graced with exceptional length and tons of polish. The intensity tapers off just a touch on the mid-palate and finish. Readers who prefer a bigger style will probably gravitate towards the 2007 or 2008, but it would be a shame to miss out on the 2009. The blend is 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, aged 20 months in 100% French oak barrels, 90% new. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. (Not yet released)Inspired by the great classic Napa Valley Cabernets of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, Lou Kapcsandy set out to recapture that glory when he and his family purchased the State Lane Vineyard in Yountville in 2000. State Lane had previously been a source of fruit for Beringer’s State Lane and Private Reserve Cabernet bottlings. The vineyard was destroyed by phylloxera in 1999 and replanted in 2001 by Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer. Kapcsandy is a family affair, with Lou’s son Louis and wife Bobbi both deeply involved in the day to day running of the winery. Denis Malbec is the consulting oenologist.Tel. (707) 948-3100