I could smell this wine forever. Fuck drinking it… just let your nose gaze into it for hours. Fresh off finding some 2012–which is showing the effects of aging such a lush vintage–I happened upon a case of 11, and even though Lake, the beauty of this vintage is still here in terms even over-shadowing Sonoma. Finding 2011’s with decent provenance is rare as hen’s teeth these days, but my mantra remains: Buy as much 2011 as you can afford. Glorious mint and eucalyptus and deep worn leather and spritely, dusty fruit: the bouquet is nearly indescribable in its shocking beauty. Heady brick in the glass–brown edges all around–with early drrrrty funk blowing off.

In the mouth, there is *fade* apparent: a gritty acidic wash just beginning to erode the fruit, but NOTHING catastophic in sight. Burning with desire, aimed for higher things at each point of light, deliriously complex and wrought with nutty splendor. Blackberry, cranberry elegance and black walnut ire combine to produce something I usually find only in my cellar–and NOT on a strip-mall shelf. Everything fades down into perfectly-polished tannic wonder, while tantric berry continues on and on, enlivened by brash inclusions of grit and tertiary.

2011 STEELE Cabernet Sauvignon Red Hills Lake County 13.8

https://shannonfamilyofwines.com/wine_producer/steele/