2001 Clos du Val Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml

The Reserve bottling sits at the top of the Clos du Val range, a selection of the estate's most complete barrels made only when the vintage justifies it. Where the winery's district Cabernets speak of place, the Reserve is an argument about style: proof that Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon can carry real power without abandoning the restraint the house has defended since its founding in 1972. It has always been a wine made for the long haul rather than for a splashy debut on the tasting bench.

The 2001 comes from a Napa vintage now regarded as one of the finest of its decade, and it was raised in the estate's classically proportioned register at a modest 13.5 percent alcohol. Wine Enthusiast's review described a dry, tight, tannic wine obviously designed for the cellar, one that marched to its own beat in an era when late-picked opulence ruled the valley.

A quarter century of patience has done exactly what the winemakers intended. Expect red and black currant, plum, spicy earth and dried herbs over a frame that has relaxed into suppleness while keeping its firm central spine. Tasters who followed the wine over the years noted it building steadily in the glass across hours, a hallmark of seriously structured Cabernet arriving at maturity. The balance at this stage is genuinely satisfying, neither faded nor austere.

Decant off sediment shortly before dinner and let it open in the glass rather than sitting long in the decanter. Serve with strip steak, lamb chops or hard aged cheeses. The wine is inside its window now and should hold at this plateau for years in sound storage, though every bottle of this age carries its own small variations and deserves a moment of ceremony.

• Size: 750ml
• ABV: 13.5%
• Vintage: 2001
• Origin: Napa Valley, California
• Winery: Clos du Val
• Grape/Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, reserve barrel selection
• Tasting Notes: Red and black currant, plum, dried herbs, earth
• Drink Window: Now through the early 2030s