Polished and perfumed, this elegant wine drinks easily now but has the balance and quiet concentration to help it improve for several years. Lush black cherries, black currants and blueberries fill the palate, buoyed on moderate tannins and spiced with toast, cinnamon and cedar notes from oak barrels. Blended with 8% Malbec. — Jim Gordon

Small amounts of malbec and petite sirah add some spices and raspberries to this 86% cabernet sauvignon. It shows the handsome black cherry intensity of cabernet and firm tannins while nicely layered. Drinkable young. Drink or hold.

Shows generous, succulent notes of açaí, blackberry and black currant preserves. This offers ample toast, too, which stays along the edges. Nice licorice root and singed alder accents weave through the finish. Best from 2025 through 2035. 4,150 cases made.

A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec and 6% Petite Sirah, the 2021 Lion Tamer Cabernet Sauvignon features scents of black cherries, cassis and loamy earth. With only 35% new oak in the élevage, the cedar and vanilla accents are minimal, although they do show up, particularly on the wine's finish. It's medium to full-bodied, framed by supple tannins and evidently meant for relatively early consumption. That's fine, and it's an excellent example of Napa Valley Cabernet that won't break the bank.- JC