A well-established and esteemed wine maker in California, Gus Anderson of Conn Valley Vineyards created the Eagles Trace brand in 2003. Along with Gonzalo Valleges, formerly of Caymus, Anderson uses only the best lots of the Conn Valley vineyards (just 10.5 hectares) to produce his Eagles Trace wines. The Latitude 38, considered Andersons best wine, is a Bordeaux-style, proprietary blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc and is described by Anderson as dark ruby/purple in color. It presents an aroma of violets, vanilla, spice, and black fruits. The wine makes a beautiful entry to the palate with black berries, black currant, and plums. It has great depth and concentration with lingering flavors of chocolate as a background to compliment the complex ripe tannins and long lingering finish. The 2005 Latitude 38, garnered a 90-92 point rating from Robert Parker, which he described as having a stylish, restrained personality, beautiful fruit, medium to full body, and sweet tannin. Little known, this is a relatively small producer and this label is not easy to find so take this opportunity to try a new California treasure.