Isole e Olena Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione Privata 2018

There are plenty of flowery, fancy ways to describe this wine. As I shared my most recent bottle over a special dinner this week, much of it was said. But the only description that really matters, the one that I have every time I drink an Isole Cab from my cellar, is this: my favorite Cabernet we sell, one of my favorite wines of any kind from anywhere. I love it because it tastes exactly like Cabernet and exactly like Tuscany—the best of both worlds join forces for an otherworldly experience. It proudly wears its pure Cabernet heart with gorgeous black and purple fruits, then does a full sensory takeover with lavender, espresso, then an indescribably attractive spice accent kicks in that quite literally stopped me mid-sentence and made me be that wine guy who closes his eyes to take it all in (it was an involuntary reflex, what can I say?). Incredibly elegant in its texture and flow, exquisitely balanced to allow it to be an ideal pairing with grilled hanger steak, arugula-pistachio pesto, and crispy potatoes. Never heavy, always floating and weaving through the complex melange of tastes. No matter how great this is now—the note above is with 30 minutes of decanting—I know it'll be greater with more age. I am hanging on to my last bottle of 2010, the first vintage I tasted, the first time I knew this would be a long-term affair. -Marcus