Favia Erickson Winegrowers Favia La Magdalena 2014 750ml

Next up, the 2018 La Magalena comes from the Oakville Ranch Vineyard and in 2018 is a blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Incredible notes of crème de cassis, blueberries, tobacco leaf, violets, and spring flowers all emerge from this beauty, and it hits the palate with flawless balance, full-bodied richness, a great, great mid-palate, and a finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. Probably a candidate for perfection in 5–7 years, this is a magical Bordeaux blend from an incredible terroir as well as a great winemaker. Hide bottles in the cellar for 5–7 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 30 years or more. (Jeb Dunnuck)

The Favia 2018 La Magdalena is a powerhouse. Huge swaths of tannin wrap around a core of inky dark red fruit as this hulking Cabernet Franc-based wine starts to open in the glass. Readers will have to be patient with the 2018, as it is rather imposing at this stage. Mocha, dried rose petal, spice and a whole range of savory notes linger. All I can say is: Wow! (Antonio Galloni)

The 2014 La Magdalena is another drop-dead gorgeous beauty from Favia. The aromatics are a bit attenuated relative to how the wine showed last year. Some of that may be attributable to its recent bottling. We will see. For now, the 2014 is fresh and nicely delineated throughout. Red cherry jam, mocha, wild flowers and sweet spices all flesh out in the glass.

The 2014 La Magdelena (69% Cabernet Franc and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon) has a beautifully sweet, oaky side to the blueberry, forest floor and flowery notes of the Cabernet Franc. The wine is medium to full-bodied, but cuts a gracious, ballerina-like dance across the palate. The finish kicks in with some tannin and earth, but the wine is stylish and exceptionally well-made. Drink it over the next 20 years.

Marked by a mulchy dried berry and savory underbrush character that never quite abates. Tasted three times with consistent notes. Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2024. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 285 cases made. (James Laube)