The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a pretty rich, bombastic wine, especially for Mayacamas. A blast of dark fruit, incense, tobacco, licorice, spice and mocha hits the palate. I would give the 2019 at least a few years in bottle to settle down, as it is quite the powerhouse today. This is an unusually flamboyant wine with plenty of richness and a bit less in the way of subtlety. The opulence of the vintage comes through loud and clear.

Moving to the current releases, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is clearly on another level. Cassis, violets, spring flowers, and graphite, as well as a beautiful sense of minerality, all emerge on the nose, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, fine, polished tannins, fabulous balance, and a great finish. This stunning bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon will drink nicely over the coming 30 years or more.

(96+ points) Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon erupts from the glass with a gorgeous perfume of blueberry compote, boysenberry preserves, and warm cassis leading to nuances of lavender, tar, tapenade, and fragrant soil. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly wound with vibrant black fruit and savory nuances framed by very firm grainy tannins, finishing long with a minerally lift. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Loaded with character and energy, this version reveals heavy notes of zesty sweet bay leaf and sassafras that infuse a core of steeped red currant and mulberry fruit, all carried by bright acidity and iron-laced tannins. The long finish pulls everything together, with the fruit, savory and mineral elements in harmony. Showing an old-school touch, this has a long life ahead. Best from 2025 through 2045. 4,000 cases made.

Seductive aromas of dark cherries, mulberries, spiced plums, wild herbs and dried spices. Medium to full body with finely grained tannins. Textural and suave with a voluptuous array of berries, cherries and raw cocoa on the palate. Velvety and well-balanced with a focused developing finish. Drink or hold.

Winemaker Andy Erickson has updated some of the cellar practice at Mayacamas, bringing in stainless steel vats to ferment a portion of the cabernet, most of which still ferments in cement; he also has brought in large oak foudres for aging, in parallel to neutral barriques. His 2019 is a big, youthful brute of a mountain cabernet, cool and foresty. There’s nothing overripe or warm about its red and purple fruit, which is bright, intense and energized, accented by the nutmeat scents of old oak. Wine editor Stephanie Johnson found the red plum and red berry flavors have dimension, “like sun coming through water—you could feel your way through it. Instead of a heavy wall of tannin, it feels like an open weave.” —J.G.

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon remains true to the winery's historic style, offering complex notes of dried herbs and mixed berries, carried across the palate by a wine that's medium-bodied, crisp and somewhat lean by modern Napa standards. It finishes long and dusty, promising well for the future.