Some Napa 2017s inc Insignia, Opus, Rubicon, Maya

Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
Tight and quite introspective with some floral characters and sweet, concentrated cassis. Moderately heady with alcohol but the oak sits nicely in the background. More red fruit kicks in on the mid-palate but this takes time to takes off. It has a juicy, treble-led aspect, and is nicely compact throughout. It is pure, juicy and has a refreshing grip. With air it sweetens and broadens to a creamy mocha finish.
91/100

Inglenook Rubicon 2017
Markedly different to the Cabernet - the nose is fresher and encompasses a broader range of aromas. Palate is drier with significantly more grip and energy. Has notes of plums and bay alongside the Cabernet fruit. Assertive and vigorous through the middle with subtly toasty French oak giving notes of clove. It fans out nicely on the palate, with a firm fully ripe grip of tannin. The finish is moderately long, and fragrant, with some earthy notes of Rutherford dust.
93/100

Opus One 2017
80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 1% Malbec. Strikingly lifted, perfumed and airy. The fruit is predominantly red and bright in its expression, with peppery spice and a touch of graphite in the background. On the palate it shows great energy. The fruit is succulent and fully ripe but has retained HD definition and clarity. Tannins are fine spun and silky, there’s a creamy element on the transition from mid-palate to finish. A hint of floral perfume and spice box on the finish. Extremely elegant and fleet of foot.
95/100

Joseph Phelps Insignia 2017
94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc. A bold and beefy style with the Malbec seeming to lend more dark chocolate and plum intensity to the already ripe and punchy Cabernet fruit. So much weight of fruit that the oak is only just perceptible as the barest hint of spice. Dark-toned and powerful on the palate but it also has polish and a surprising degree of refinement. The tannins are substantial and muscular but have sufficient ripeness to cushion them and lend a velvety quality. Rich through the mid-palate, with no hint of smoke, there is the slightest hint of rasined fruit towards the finish. It is imposingly structured and big-boned, with modest acidity and a dry finish with cocoa powder tannins.
92/100

Quintessa 2017
Markedly intense and very ripe nose of glossy black fruit - blackcurrants, cassis and blackberries - with a very slight hint of inkiness. Sleek and polished palate with creamy tannins and oak that is present and sweet, yet more than buffered by the concentration of fruit. There’s a persistent sensation that the extraction and ripeness has been pushed just a little too far, giving a subtle yet insistent hint of char. This leads to a slight bitterness on the finish and tannins that feel just ever so slightly pinched. Warm finish.
89/100

Dalla Valle Maya 2017
67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Cabernet Franc. Very deep, dark purple. Nose quite reticent but has a core of peppery blackberry fruit from the Cab Franc and a distinct mineral element of earth and gravel. Palate is fragrant, rich and dramatic. There are note of spice and sandalwood on top of glossy black fruits and spice. Tannins are lively and marked yet fully ripe, giving a deep pile sensation against the gums. The mid-palate has a distinct seam of minerality and an almost iron / ferrous backbone. Finishes with dark chocolate and cocoa powder tannins. Unapologetically big and dramatic but really pulls it off.
94/100