Black dark impenetrable ruby out to thin purple edges incredibly staining and dense.  You don’t have to wait to put it in a glass–you see the color and density straight out of the bottle.  Nose starts off easy bright cassis and gravel before exploding into incredibly concentrated Maraschino, candied, black cherry fruit on HEROIN.  A touch of alcohol lurking and is that a tiny bit of brett?!?  I love it.  Yes it’s fat.  Yes it’s a monster.  Yes it’s probably 15+.  Yes it’s Paso.  But OMG does it smell good.  Decanted hard and it loses NOTHING–opening to even more rich, thick fruit.  Google keeps wanting to put ads on my blog and a couple times I said, “OK, go ahead.” and they say I have to take out the references to “drug use”.  Well, I guess I just spoiled THAT relationship for another year.  In the mouth, every bit of the fruit promised hits you hard with side dishes of wet concrete and acid.  Oh hey, I just realized:  Maybe it is all my references to ACID that’s buggin the Google Police.  Chalky and mouth-coating, but never really does that whole shallow/over-ripe/too hot/cheap-fruit Paso thing.  This wine is so rich and full on the palate.  There is briar and mint and Copenhagen and yet Alexander Valley could NEVER produce a cab like this.  Maybe I should say “would never”.  Massive tannins, full and round and nuanced–bitterness at the bright edges and chewy dryness at the core and still everywhere the ripe, round fruit.  My gushing on this label has happened before.  But that was the $40 York Mountain.  This is the cheaper cellar-mate and I am just as happy.  holy crap 15-8.  Wow.  I don’t even know what to SAY to that.  Oh well, not going to let it interfere with me enjoying a fabulous bottle of cab.  I love this wine.  It is balanced and beautiful.  ♦♦♦