Deep garnet colored, the 2014 PreVail Back Forty has a rather closed nose of baked black berries and stewed plums with an earthy background. The medium-bodied palate is soft and approachable, with dark fruit preserves and some spiciness coming through on the finish.

The other cuvée under the PreVail moniker is Ferrari-Carano’s 2013 PreVail Back Forty, which is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the unique 40-acre block at the back of their mountain estate. This shows a Proven?al-garrigue and lavender character. It has a dense ruby/purple color and if I did not know, I would have been convinced that there were some Rh?ne Ranger varietals blended in, but the wine is pure Cabernet. It is spicy, earthy, rich, peppery and impressive. I am not sure I like it as much as the 2013 West Face, but this is high-quality material. Drink it over the next 15 years.

I also tasted the 2012 PreVail Back Forty and 2012 West Face. I remember seeing these wines when Philippe Melka was overseeing their debut. They all come from Ferrari-Caraon’s Lookout Mountain Ranch and are composed of different blends. The 2012 PreVail Back Forty is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grown at an elevation of 1,200 feet. This seriously-endowed effort boasts copious quantities of crème de cassis, graphite, chocolate and a touch of barriques. Full-bodied, tannic and more backward than the 2012 West Face, this serious mountain-styled Cabernet Sauvignon should be forgotten for 3-4 years, and drunk over the following two decades.