Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

This was a blueberry bomb! I felt like Violet Beauregarde in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory when I looked in the mirror after drinking this and saw my purple lips and stained teeth! To me, this was a typically really, really good Napa Cab, i.e., it was big and smooth and fruity with some chocolate and herbal qualities and “medium” in the tannins department. It paired well with my lamb chops and Bearnaise sauce with grilled pineapples, and cinnamon dusted lemon blueberry toast for dessert. On my own personal scale of 0 to 5, I would give this a 3.8.

What do the critics say? This powerful, densely packed wine bursts with aromas of late-picked blackberries, blueberries and cassis that give way to bold black fruit and dark-chocolate flavors accented by cloves, black pepper and cedar. The tannins are full and firm, needing several years to mellow for best enjoyment. Drink from 2027–2037. — Jim Gordon

Someone named BadMonkey on Cellar Tracker wrote: Plum Market wine tasting. Dark ruby fruit – blackberry, currants, dark cherry, and a little blueberry & plum. Smooth mid-palate with solid depth/concentration – medium plus body. Nice rich flavors of cassis, some spice, and cocoa. Decent finish but not overly long nor deep. A nice vintage of this wine – no surprise of the 92 to 94 rating from Dunnuck. 92% cab sauvignon, 4% petit verdot, 2% cab franc, 1% merlot, and 1% malbec.