Black Ruby. Brilliantly pure aromas of cassis, blackberry and bitter chocolate. Dense and thick but sharply delineated thanks to powerful underlying structure. Very intense flavors of black fruits. Impressively long on the finish, with tannins thoroughly buffered by the wine's sheer material. "This is our wimpiest lot of cabernet in '99," said Foley, who went on to show me several darker and more powerful components that will serve as the foundation for the Pride reserve wines as well as contribute to this "basic" cabernet bottling.

The 99 vintage produced youthfully brisk wines at Pride's vineyard on top of Spring Mountain. This cabernet is all red fruits - cranberry, cherry and red plum. Yet all that fruit needs cellar time to absorb the hard edges of structure, all the alcohol, the four square tannin, the edgy acidity. The purple black concentration of the color suggests that evolution could be long and well worth the wait. (3,796 cases).

Well-oaked, with creamy, mocha-scented flavors leading to a ripe, supple, complex core of currant, black cherry, anise, spice and mineral. Turns sleek and elegant on the finish, with a long, lively aftertaste. Best from 2003 thru 2009. 3,796 cases made.