Composed of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Darius II has a deep garnet-purple color and subtle scents of kirsch, Black Forest cake and warm cassis with hints of redcurrant jelly, camphor and forest floor plus a waft of lavender. The medium to full-bodied palate is elegantly styled with soft-spoken, quietly intense, mineral-laced black fruit layers supported by velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and fragrant. It is a very different style from the blockbuster 2016, and yet I love this expression too, which beautifully captures the 2018 vintage.

Rich and ripe, but well-focused, offering red and black currant notes stretching out over a mix of loam and singed cedar, with a late echo of sweet bay leaf. For fans of the power style. Drink now through 2032. 925 cases made.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Darius II is compact, with only modest depth and complexity. Harsh tannins add to the wine's severe feel. Drink it over the next few years, before it frays further.