2009 Estate Cuvee State Lane Vineyard Yountville

The key to the quality of the Kapcsandys' outstanding vineyard on the Yountville Crossroad (formerly the State Lane Vineyard, the source of many outstanding cabernets from Beringer over the years) may be the long hangtime between veraison and harvest. Particularly in recent cooler years, the tannins are able to ripen slowly and thoroughly before grape sugars go too high (most of the 2010s and 2009s are under 14% alcohol, according to Lou Kapcsandy). The soil is mostly gravel over clay, and cooling breezes from San Pablo Bay to the south consistently bring down temperatures in late afternoon. The vines are also planted along a north-south axis, which protects the grapes from the hottest afternoon sun. The result is more hang time, less dehydration of the grapes, and dense, full wines with strong minerality and floral lift. During my most recent tasting here, it crossed my mind that the Roberta's Reserve bottling has quickly risen to the top of the merlot heap in California. But don't expect a chocolatey, oaky confection; in its intensity, structure and mineral grip, it's more like Petrus.

Much as I dislike raving about wines that cost an arm and two legs, it''s hard to avoid the conclusion that the Kapcsandys'' Roberta''s Reserve has rapidly become one of the world''s greatest merlots not made on the Pomerol plateau. During the course of my annual visit to this estate on the east side of Yountville (the Kapcsandys replanted the famous old State Lane Vineyard a year after they purchased the property in 2000), the Roberta''s and the Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Vin stood out as some of the stars of both 2009 and 2008. These are classically dry and broad wines in a rather French style (Denis Malbec, who virtually grew up at Chateau Latour, has been consulting winemaker here since 2007). But although they really call for extended aging, they also gained dramatically in sweetness in just the time I had them in my glass. One of the keys to the very high quality here is a willingness to bottle only the very best material each vintage. According to Lou Kapcsandy Sr., 62% of total production in 2009 went into the estate''s Endre bottling.'