2005 Bond - Pluribus Proprietary Blend - USA - California - Napa - Napa Valley - Red

($275) Full, deep ruby. Stunning aromas of black raspberry, licorice and rocky minerality. A wine of outstanding richness and depth of flavor, with its power leavened by an almost magically creamy, pliant texture. Last year, winemaker Bob Levy told me that he fermented this wine in barrel to build up its middle palate while limiting extraction of tannins, as these vines from halfway up Spring Mountain could normally be expected to yield a very powerful, tannic style of wine. Based on this sample, his approach has worked wonders, as this wine is way suave for a cabernet-based wine from this area. The dark fruit and mineral flavors really spread out to saturate the palate on the extremely long aftertaste. As sexy as this is now, it's likely to evolve positively for a couple of decades.

The impressive, dense purple-colored 2005 E Pluribus offers up aromas of spring flowers, camphor, incense, crushed rocks, graphite, and blueberry as well as blackberry liqueur. Stylistically, it is closest to the Melbury (even though that vineyard is on the other side of Napa Valley).

Packs in lots of rich, supple layers of flavor, built around fleshy currant, black cherry, plum and wild berry fruit, shaded by creamy, toasty oak. The vibrancy and concentration give this a long, persistent finish. The tannins have a slight ragged edge.

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