Joseph Carr Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005

For an example of what the Napa Valley can really produce in reds, look no further than the Joseph Carr Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. Although it's labeled as a varietal, it's actually a Bordeaux-style blend, comprised of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 2.5% Cabernet Franc, and 2.5% Syrah.The vintage I tasted, the 2005, was utterly delicious. Strong notes of cherry, plum and leather on the nose, with a touch of cedar and smoke, featuring more black fruits and chocolate in the mouth, balanced to fine-grained tannins. Excellent structure and intensity, and it finished long, hinting at cinnamon. It blew me away, and it'll blow you away too. $20 a bottle.