2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Tin Box Vineyard

Russell Bevan and his longtime partner Victoria De Crescenzo were in high spirits when I stopped by their Santa Rosa winery in January. Earlier that day, Bevan and De Crescenzo closed on the purchased of the Saunders Vineyard in Oakville, which gives them an additional 15-20 acres of top quality vineyard land, capping off an extraordinary run that only started a decade ago. Just as importantly, Bevan's winemaking has evolved pretty dramatically over the last few years. Bevan has always sought textural richness, but at times his wines were over extracted. Today, the wines are just as opulent as they have always been, but they are also significantly more polished. I tasted a number of Sonoma and Napa wines together, but Bevan opted only to show wines from sites he is confident he will have access to in the future rather than the entire range.