One of the best 2006s from Sbragia is the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Cimarossa. Opaque purple in color, with notes of forest floor, blue and black fruits, graphite, and some subtle background oak, this wine is full-bodied and dense, but with more concentration and texture than most of the other 2006s exhibited. The well-known, former winemaker at Beringer, Ed Sbragia, has fashioned these cuvees at his home estate. His Sonoma offerings will be reviewed in the February issue of The Wine Advocate. However, I have included his Cabernet Sauvignon from the Monte Rosso Vineyard as well as his Andolsen Cabernet Sauvignon from Dry Creek.Tel. (866) 222-4342

Ed Sbragia is making some of the most interesting single-vineyard Cabernets in California. This one, from Howell Mountain, shows the density and power that typify all his wines. Although it’s thoroughly dry, it tastes almost sweet in grilled blackberry marmalade flavors, balanced with good acidity and wonderfully fine tannins. Feels like it has the capacity to age for decades.——S.H.(2/1/2010)—— 95