Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot

94 points John Gilman

Mayacamas has had a program of re-releasing their Cabernets after ten years and this has continued under the new ownership. Therefore, the 2003 vintage made by Bob Travers is just coming back into the market again, and it is a stellar bottle. This is a classic Mayacamas Cabernet in what was not a great vintage, but is certainly a great wine. The bouquet is blossoming and is flat out stunning, offering up a complex blend of cassis, dark berries, cigar ash, a nice touch of bell pepper, great soil tones, smoky tones and a nice touch of incipient chipotle in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and rock solid at the core, with moderate tannins, great focus and grip and a very, very long and perfectly balanced finish. This was probably a riper vintage than Bob Travers traditionally liked, as it is listed at 13.75 percent and this seems quite accurate, but Bob generally preferred his cabernets right around thirteen percent even. In any event, the wine is aging beautifully and is a classic Mayacamas. (7/2018)