A massive wine that absolutely demands time in the cellar, Lancaster’s ’05 is nearly all Cabernet, with tiny amounts of the other four Bordeaux varieties. It stuns with the power and authenticity of its hilly Cabernet origins, offering vast black currant, orange rind, anise and smoky oak flavors that implode on the palate. But the tannins are hard. It should blossom and fully come into its own after 2010. — S.H.
Slightly superior is the outstanding 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, which offers up scents of fruitcake, soil undertones, forest floor, and copious quantities of black cherries and black currants as well as soft tannins in its dense, medium to full-bodied personality. It is ideal for drinking over the next decade.
Smoky, with charred oak wrapped around a tight core of dried currant, anise, sage and tar, giving this a complex range of flavors. Full-bodied, this is supple midpalate, firming up on the finish. Drink now through 2015. 4,100 cases made. –JL
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