Do NOT open this wine, pour yourself a glass and form an opinion. If you do that, you will go away with an image of a tired oxidized wine with no fruit, on its last legs. But decanted and aired out, this thing explodes in all kinds of miraculous nuances that will boggle your mind compared to your initial assumptions. Just give it a few moments to compose itself. Why should a wine be required to perform on demand to your expectations? Don’t insult wine like that.

Dark ruby, showing fair brick, mint drives the nose against warm red soil, beautiful cinnamon lingering in the background under plummy pie cherry. Mind you these are all very delicate nuances. There is not an OUNCE of oak on this thing. It is NOT a big Napa cab that explodes in your face. This thing unfolds and evolves very gradually in the glass, taking its grand time and rewarding wholesomely the patient.
In the mouth, OMG the gorgeous fruit plays so hard-to-get with RIDICULOUS tannins, smoky briar and tart grind, leaving the finish of barrel samples and not of a wine the tourists will line up for.

Chewy, gobbsmackingly delicious and playing dirty ideals against fruity visions, this is a gorgeous, beautiful wine, so vibrant and alive, so angry and persnickety, so delicate and intelligent if you know where to look. Head and shoulders better than the acclaimed 2013, I hope you have some of these.

2011 CLOS DU VAL Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 13.5

closduval.com