A pair of new cabernet sauvignon releases from Sonoma’s venerable Sebastiani (now part of the Foley empire):

2017 Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon North Coast – A straightforward cab (with grapes from both Sonoma and Lake Counties), this wine is youthful and focused more on fruit than wood. “Juicy” is an understatement, with aggressive fruit tempering and outpacing notes of cola and milk chocolate, particularly on the candylike finish. B- / $17 [BUY IT NOW FROM TOTAL WINE]

2016 Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley – Clearly more refined from the start, this Sonoma-grown wine (grapes sourced from the Vinmark and Della Vista vineyards) offers a more complex and engaging profile, with notes of blackberry and currant tempered by dark chocolate, bitter herbs, and well-structured tannins that give it some backbone. A solid conjecture that will likely improve over the next few years. A- / $40

sebastiani.com

2016 Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

$40

9

Rating

9.0/10