Blended with a bit of Syrah and Petit Verdot, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon has a deep ruby-purple color and an alluring fragrance of cassis, violet, aniseed, bitter chocolate and coffee beans. It's notable this vintage for Goldilocks ripeness and seamless lift, offering a chocolate-like texture and very long finish.

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is more elegant and focused, with medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of cassis, redcurrants, green tobacco, and cedary spice. I love its texture, it has ripe, polished tannins, plenty of sweet fruit, and a great, great finish, all while staying in a relatively compact, and again, elegant package. As I’ve written in the past, it would cost three to four times the price from Napa. It’s worth noting the change in appellation from Paso Robles to San Luis Obispo County, which probably allows for a wider range of fruit. Eric Jensen’s My Favorite Neighbor lineup continues to grow and now includes numerous single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon releases. While the Harvey and Harriet and straight Cabernet Sauvignon are larger production releases, the single vineyards are tiny production cuvées. As I’ve written numerous times in the past, all of these would run two to three times the cost if they were from Napa Valley.

This newer brand for Eric Jensen of Booker fame offers a highclass taste of the Central Coast for a somewhat affordable price. It’s dark in the glass, with heavy aromas of baked blackberry, cocoa and violet, the ample fruit balanced by woody, herbal spices. The structure is firm and the density is impressive, with concentrated dark-cherry, berry, caramel and nutmeg flavors. Editors’ Choice.