2003 Artesa Alexander Valley Tempranillo. Tempranillo is Spain's answer to Cabernet. This bold Tempranillo is grown in Artesa's Oak Mountain vineyard in Alexander Valley. Gently hand harvested, the grapes were picked and fermented in three separate lots. A mixture of French and American oak was used during the 20 months of aging to produce a wine with plenty of blueberry and blackberry fruit as well as exuberant white pepper for a latin flair. The fruit and spice is backed with vanilla, leather and smoke. A concentration on the extracted fruit and a slight tension within youthful tannins will allow this wine to improve for years.

Compare with a classic California cab from BV. The 2002 Beaulieu Vineyard Rutherford Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is ripe with sweet oaky fruit tat is brought to life with firm tannins and good acidity.