Oakville East

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Oakville East 2005 Exposure Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville)

Price $125

They call it east, because the grapes are from the Vaca Mountains, and the vineyard faces west. It’s a splendid wine, classically proportioned, with rich, thick tannins that have true Napa refinement. The flavors are also classic, suggesting cassis and cedar, with a distinct smack of indescribable minerals. There’s a lot of smoky new oak, but it’s proportionate to… — S.H. (5/1/2009)

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Oakville East 2008 Core Stone Red (Oakville)

Price $125

A flashy, showy wine, whose flamboyant flavors are tempered by beautiful Oakville tannins. It’s made in the modern, ripe style, with explosive blackberry, cassis, bacon and sandalwood flavors. The oak is sweet and smoky and refined. Just beautiful, and should hold over the next six years. — S.H. (9/1/2011)

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Oakville East 2009 Core Stone Red (Oakville)

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Price $125

Very rich and voluptuous, this has ripe blackberry fruit that has a roasted character, as if the berries spent a moment on the grill. It’s deep and impressive, showing tiers of complexity, but it’s also very tannic, with a dry, astringent kick that makes it seemingly undrinkable now. Made from mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, with a drop of Petit… — S.H. (11/1/2012)

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Oakville East 2008 Exposure Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville)

Price $100

A ripe, elaborate Cabernet, offering a blast of fruit in the flashiest way. Wows with tiers of blackberries, black cherries, cassis, cocoa, cool mint, spice and smoked meat that are almost sweet, but the finish is dry. The powerful oak overlay is perfectly in keeping with the wine’s volume. Some sharpness throughout is a minor fault. — S.H. (9/1/2011)

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Oakville East 2010 Franc ’N Stern Cabernet Franc (Oakville)

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Price $125

This elaborate wine offers delicious cherry-pie, mocha, red currant and sandalwood flavors. The tannins are smooth and flashy, and it’s easy to drink. But it shows the limits of Cabernet Franc, which simply doesn’t have the depth of Cabernet Sauvignon. — S.H. (4/1/2013)

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Oakville East 2009 Exposure Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville)

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Price $95

This is hard to appreciate now because the fruit is so primary and upfront—like a heaping spoon of black raspberry jam—and also because the tannins are thick and tough. There’s something almost rustic about it. On the other hand, six years or more in the cellar could reward. Made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, with a splash of Petit Verdot. — S.H. (11/1/2012)

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Oakville East 2006 Exposure Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville)

Price $100

After the wonderful 2005 vintage, this is a bit of a letdown, which undoubtedly is a reflection of the vintage. It’s very rich and the tannins are superb, but there’s a jammy sweetness to the blackberries and cherries. It’s a delicious wine, but could be drier and have a more complex structure. Now through 2012. — S.H. (12/31/2009)

Most Reviewed Designations

Core Stone Exposure Franc ’N Stern

Most Reviewed Varietals

Bordeaux-style Red Blend Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon

2009 W.H. Smith Purple Label Piedra Hill Vineyard

This is a gigantic Cabernet, deeply concentrated and enormously tannic…

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