Fantastic aromas of blackberries and blueberries with hints of flowers and pencil lead. Full-bodied with velvety, creamy tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Some bitter lemon, bitter chocolate and grilled toast at the end. 60% cabernet franc and 40% cabernet sauvignon. Drinkable now, but better in two or three years.

The La Magdalena is once again a fantastic wine from Favia. It bursts open with profound aromas of dark cherries and blackberries, which are laced with loam, dark chocolate, herbs, violets, and licorice nuances all taking share. The palate is full-bodied and intense, with a massive tannin structure that will need some time to integrate. Nonetheless, this is a fabulous wine with a deep expressive core that is layered with loads of dark fruit, spices and dusty notes which expand through the long, enveloping finish. There is certainly no shortage of substance here, however it is a bit aggressive in its youth and patience will be required before approaching this age-worthy Cabernet Franc based wine from Andy Erickson.

The 2019 La Magdalena is a Cabernet Franc-based blend from Oakville Ranch. It possesses tremendous mid-palate weight and density. Tasting it next to the Cerro Sur is so fascinating, as both wines are Franc-based and yet completely different. Red cherry, plum, mocha, licorice and lavender build into the potent, sumptuous finish.

The 2018 'La Magdalena' is an absolute masterpiece from Favia. This is the big boy of the lineup and it is composed of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon and 42% Cabernet Franc from Oakville Ranch. It begins with incredibly perfumed aromas of sweet blueberries and dark currents, which are laced with violets, tobacco, crushed gravel, licorice, cast iron, exotic spices and pencil shavings. On the palate this offers incredible full body richness, with a gorgeous supple texture that is beautifully structured and balanced. It goes on to impress as it displays incredible freshness and purity as well as excellent concentration and depth, as layers of delicious ripe dark fruit flavors cascade seamlessly on to the long polished finish. This is one of the most impressive wines from this sensational vintage and while it is irresistible today, it should have an incredibly bright future ahead.

Next up, the 2018 La Magalena comes from the Oakville Ranch Vineyard and in 2018 is a blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Incredible notes of crème de cassis, blueberries, tobacco leaf, violets, and spring flowers all emerge from this beauty, and it hits the palate with flawless balance, full-bodied richness, a great, great mid-palate, and a finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. Probably a candidate for perfection in 5-7 years, this is a magical Bordeaux blend from an incredible terroir as well as a great winemaker. Hide bottles in the cellar for 5-7 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 30 years or more.

The 2018 La Magdalena is one of the most polished wines I have ever tasted here. Favia's Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc blend pulses with intensity from start to finish. In 2018, La Magdalena appears to be a bit more nuanced than in the past. There is plenty of power, but less of the bombastic intensity that has marked some previous editions. Mocha, espresso and floral notes wrap around a core of dark fruit effortlessly.

Aromas of currants and spice with some dust and flowers. Turns to sandalwood and licorice. Then goes on to some fresh herbs. Full-bodied, yet composed and tight. Phenomenal wine. Drink after 2022 and onwards.

From the Oakville Ranch vineyard just beside Dalla Valle, the 2017 La Magdalena is 67% Cabernet Franc and 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, and there are only three barrels due to the fire. It has pretty cassis, crushed violet, dark chocolate, lead pencil, and earthy aromas and flavors as well as full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, no hard edges, and a wonderful sense of purity, balance, and class. Drink this sensational 2017 over the coming 15-20 years.

The 2017 ‘La Magdalena’ is another brilliant wine from Favia in this vintage. Composed of 67% Cabernet Franc and 33% Cabernet Sauvignon that was sourced from Oakville Ranch. This impresses with its striking purity and remarkable overall precision. It begins with an incredibly perfumed aromatic profile of ripe blackcurrants and blackberries that are woven together with graphite, violets, sweet exotic spices as well as underlying hints of cigar box and hints of fresh tobacco nuances. This possesses a gorgeous full-bodied texture that is beautifully structured and polished, with outstanding balance and a ripe core of remarkably fresh red/dark fruits that gracefully envelop the palate. It goes on to display an incredible combination of concentration and depth, while remaining energetic and fresh all the way through the finish. The 2017 ‘La Magdalena’ is utterly fascinating to approach today in its youth, but it also has all the elements in place to evolve gracefully for many years to come.

Seductive, featuring a pure beam of cassis, infused with incense, black tea, dried anise and sweet tobacco notes. Very focused, delivering a late tug of earth while maintaining a fine-grained feel. Hard to resist now, but be patient. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2021 through 2033. 48 cases made.

Slightly deeper and richer, with powerful notes of purple and blue fruits, the 2016 La Magdalena (55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon) offers up complex spring flowers, violets, and graphite notes, full body, thrilling purity of fruit, present tannins, and a great, great finish. There’s plenty of underlying structure here and the cellar is going to be your friend. Regardless, it’s a gorgeous wine.

The 2016 La Magdalena is superb. Dense, pliant and richly textured, with supremely beautiful inner perfume and depth, the 2016 has so much to offer. Super-ripe red cherry, plum, wild flowers, espresso, mint, rose petal and spice notes abound in this mid-weight, yet deeply flavored Cabernet Sauvignon. Just as it was from barrel, La Magdalena is wonderfully lifted and nuanced.

Slightly deeper and richer, with powerful notes of purple and blue fruits, the 2016 La Magdalena (55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon) offers up complex spring flowers, violets, and graphite notes, full body, thrilling purity of fruit, present tannins, and a great, great finish. There’s plenty of underlying structure here and the cellar is going to be your friend. Regardless, it’s a gorgeous wine.

Favia's 2015 La Magdalena is a blend of equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, all from Oakville Ranch. A rush of black cherry, plum, chocolate, spice, licorice and cloves infuse this dark, sumptuous Napa Valley red. There is a real unctuousness to the fruit, with distinct contributions from the Franc in both the wine's aromatic intensity and structural profile.

Extremely perfumed with currants, blackberries and oyster shell. Full-bodied and very chewy with lots of intensity and richness. A little warm at the finish. A big wine that needs two or three years to soften. Try in 2020.

Just about pure perfection in a class, the 2015 La Magdalena is primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with 28% Cabernet Franc, all of which spent 22 months in a mix of new and used French oak. Thrilling notes of bloody blueberries, forest floor, crushed violets, and hints of iron all flow to an inky colored, powerful, full-bodied, yet truly seamless Cabernet Sauvignon that does everything right. Complex, layered, powerful, and elegant, readers should beg, borrow, or steal to get ahold of this beauty.

The La Magdalena is once again majestic. Vivid, nuanced and remarkably detailed for such a big wine, the 2014 exhibits striking aromatic presence to match its finely sculpted personality. Translucent energy and power abound. La Magdalena is a blend of equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, co-fermented, from Oakville Ranch.

The 2014 La Magdalena is another drop-dead gorgeous beauty from Favia. The aromatics are a bit attenuated relative to how the wine showed last year. Some of that may be attributable to its recent bottling. We will see. For now, the 2014 is fresh and nicely delineated throughout. Red cherry jam, mocha, wild flowers and sweet spices all flesh out in the glass.

The 2013 Proprietary Red La Magdalena, which I think contains a good bit of Cabernet Franc in the blend, has a dense bluish/purple color, a wonderfully sweet inner core of graphite, blueberry liqueur, black raspberries and cassis. Medium to full-bodied, with flawless integration of tannin and acidity, this is a terrific example of top-flight viticulture and winemaking. It’s no wimpy wine at 14.8% natural alcohol. The tannins are soft enough to give the wine accessability now, but it should continue to age nicely for 20+ years.

The 2012 La Magdalena is the Favia/Erickson equal-part blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a dense ruby/purple color and 100-point aromatics that are compelling and addictive. The inky bluish/purple color is followed by intense floral aromas mixed with pure blueberry, raspberry and blackcurrants. Surely there’s plenty of new oak used in the upbringing of this wine, but you’d never know it the way this wine tastes. It is full-bodied and opulent, like Chanel’s newest haute-couture creation. This is a flawless, perfect effort that proves their mastery of this craft of winemaking. The finish goes on for a good 40-45 seconds. All of these reds are aged 20-22 months in primarily new French oak. This small, high quality boutique operation is a joint venture between Annie Favia and winemaker and consultant Andy Erickson. By and large, not a lot of these wines are made, usually under 300 cases. The 2010s, which are currently on the market, are brilliant.

A balance of Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc, which Andy Erickson and Annie Favia have finessed Napa’s modern, exuberant style in a brilliant way. It’s profound and powerful, with a smoky, sultry side: heady tobacco, dried sachet and cubeb pepper, and a raft of deeply extracted black fruit, dense enough to robe the deep tannic structure.

Beautifully crafted, smooth and seamless, with sharp focus on a rich, layered band of spicy berry, mineral, graphite, blueberry and gravel. Full-bodied, elegant and lively on palate, with a long, persistent finish. One of the best California Cabernet Franc-based wines I’ve tried. Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2022.

From David Abreu’s Madrona Ranch property in St. Helena; a 75/25 blend of cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon. Bright ruby-red. Vibrant aromas of redcurrant, cherry, licorice and violet. Fine-grained, suave and utterly seamless, with lovely floral lift. This essentially gentle wine finishes sweet and long, with a fine dusting of tannins and noteworthy breadth. Winemaker Andy Erickson describes this as the most European in style of the three Favia reds, and most appreciated by the New York market.

Another proprietor with an impressive resume, Annie Favia, wife of owner and winemaking consultant Andy Erickson, worked for over a decade with David Abreu and was highly involved in the development of vineyards such as Colgin, Screaming Eagle, and St. Eden (part of the Bond project). All of these wines are aged mostly in new French oak, and based on three Bordeaux varietals – Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. There’s no Merlot in any of them. The 2007 La Magdalena (50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Cabernet Franc) is a tiny production lot of just under 100 cases, so I will give it short thrift note-wise, but this is an ethereal wine that is showing better than it did last year. A wonderfully sweet bouquet of acacia flowers, lead pencil shavings, blueberries, and black currants is followed by a medium to full-bodied wine with extraordinary elegance, precision and purity. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.

Richly flavored, intense and vibrant, with a complex mix of dried currant, loamy earth, sage, cedar, underbrush, graphite and black licorice. Full-bodied, this fans out nicely on the finish, where the flavors get a good lift. Best from 2011 through 2022.