Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Selection Napa Valley

Having spent 19 months in 37% new French oak, this Raymond Reserve includes grapes harvested from Oakville, Rutherford, and St. Helena and delivers a potent glassful of voluptuous spice-dusted blackberry fruit, a hint of caramel and cocoa nibs. It’s full-bodied and mouth-filling revealing layers of silken black fruit that rushes over the palate redolent of blackberry jam, blueberry compote, and raspberry coulis. Flashy, succulent oak spices tinged with dark chocolate underscored by satiny tannins make for easy drinking. An enduring sweet finish beckons another sip. This is Napa hedonism wrapped in a characteristically Boisset flashy package with a satiny-textured label that rather accurately teases out the kind of texture you could expect from this Cabernet-dominant blend.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Reserve is composed of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, coming from more than 20 different sites, with 29% coming from estate vineyards in St. Helena and Rutherford. It was aged in French oak barrels, 37% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it rocks up with ready-for-business scents of blackcurrant pastilles, redcurrant jelly and Morello cherries with hints of dried Provence herbs, pencil shavings and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with crunchy black fruits, supported by firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and savory.