Bevan 2021 Ontogeny Red Blend Oakville   

2021 Bevan Ontogeny Red Wine Napa Valley
San Francisco Wine Panel Score 97+ Points
If at first a bit reserved, the nose of this extremely rich Cabernet blend is fruit-packed, with scents of blackberry, cassis, sour dark cherry, violet, pomegranate syrup, clove, dark pipe tobacco and licorice root that rise above initial impressions of strong tannin and drying minerality. It proves just as ripe as expected on the palate, where black licorice and dried fig join a richer core of cassis and blackberry jam and lots of opulent oaky-earthy spice. As the wine airs it wells-up enough of that lingering fruit and spice to blunt much of the feared tannic impact, making the fact that it actually wants several more years to fully realize its potential seem only moderately important. 2023 cases produced.