Wine reviews
This relatively new producer’s debut vintage was 2003, but these are the first wines I have tasted from B Cellars. Proprietors Jim Borsack and Duffy Keys have hired Kirk Venge as their consulting winemaker, and the wines are clearly made in a fruit-forward style that should satisfy consumers and restaurants looking for immediate drinkability. The Blend 26, is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from three vineyard sites. Two-thirds come from the Stagecoach Vineyard above the Silverado Trail, 23% from the To-Kalon Vineyard in Oakville, and 11% from the Dr. Crane Vineyard in St. Helena. The 2005 Blend 26 is a full-bodied red displaying abundant quantities of crème de cassis, licorice, incense, and lead pencil shavings. Full-bodied, lush, and seductive, it is impossible to resist now, but should age for a decade or more.