Robert Craig Robert Craig Affinity Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 750ml

A powerful yet slightly restrained wine with sweet spices on the nose and generous dark-fruit flavors on the palate. A full body and fine-grained tannins support black cherries, star anise, black licorice, iron and blackcurrants. Drinkable now but best from 2028.

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Affinity is pliant, racy and super-expressive. A burst of red cherry fruit, blood orange, spice, menthol and licorice give this boisterous blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11 % Petit Verdot and 1 % Malbec tons of appeal. Soft contours and silky tannins add to its considerable appeal. This red blend from vineyards in Coombsville is terrific.<br/><br/>

A blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Malbec, 8% Merlot and 2% each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, Robert Craig's 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Affinity is primarily assembled from more forward lots from the winery's holdings on Howell Mountain and Mount Veeder but does include some Rutherford fruit as well. Aged 18 months in 40% new French oak, it boasts bold aromas of blueberries, cassis, vanilla and cedar. Full-bodied, plush and velvety, it may not be a long-term ager, but it's sexy and open, charming and easy to drink already. Great value.

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Affinity is mostly Howell Mountain fruit in this vintage, which elevates its quality but also makes it more difficult to enjoy young. Dark fruit, lavender, spice, menthol and licorice power through this deep, forbidding wine. This big, brooding Cabernet is built for cellaring. Give it plenty of time in decanter before enjoying.

Drawn from a site in Coombsville, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Affinity is a dark-fruited, slightly herbal effort, with hints of sage that clog around the edges of the blackcurrant core. It’s medium to full-bodied, concentrated and dense but not unapproachable, with ripe tannins that join mouthwatering fruit on the finish.