The 2005 Caravina (100% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1,100 cases) is showing even better this year than last. Gorgeous fudge/chocolate notes intermixed with blackberry and cassis, sweet silky tannins, and a long finish with no hard edges make for a delicious wine already showing complexity and best drunk over the next 10 years. As I said last year, there is a strong argument to be made that this is the most underrated great Cabernet Sauvignon produced in Napa Valley. Sadly, Mary Seavey, long-time wife of Bill Seavey, passed away just before my visit, and my heartfelt condolences go out to her husband who, along with his wife, were visionaries with regard to what could be achieved on these dry-farmed hillside vineyards tucked away in Conn Valley, east of Meadowood Resort. Their winemaker is the brilliant Philippe Melka, who has always said that the challenge is not with the complexity or quality of the fruit, but rather taming what can be the savage tannins that can emerge from these hillsides. He has done just that, and along with Bill Seavey, introduced perhaps the best second wine in all of Napa Valley, the Caravina. Keep in mind that I have Seaveys going back to 1990 in my cellar, and they are still young wines, so this is a wine that can easily hold up for 25+ years when well-stored. The estate Cabernet Sauvignon (the production varies between about 725 to just over 1,000 cases depending on vintage conditions) tends to be anywhere from a minimum of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon to as much as 92-93%, with the balance always Petit Verdot, and over recent years, no Merlot whatsoever.Tel. (707) 963-8339; Fax (707) 963-0232

Dusty cedary oak is wrapped around ripe currant and red cherry fruit, giving this a sage-underbrush edge. Drink now through 2014. 1,100 cases made. -JL