Truly exotic spicy wood aromatics make this an irresistible olfactory temptation. Dark, rich and layered with flavor, offering beefy currant, cedar, anise and black cherry fruit that turns sleek and elegant. A lively, lingering aftertaste. Drink now through 2010. 900 cases made.

From its deep, well-formed, optimally ripened aromas to its very solid, perfectly focused flavors, this dazzling Cabernet is keyed on fine cassis-like fruit and everywhere displays an exceptional sense of balance and proportion. Never so bombastic as some Pride Mountain Cabernets have been in the past, but boasting plenty of intensity nonetheless, this one gives up nothing in the way of depth for its extra bit of polish, and, despite its surprising early suppleness, it promises to improve in the bottle for a good many years to come.

The 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (900 cs) is more closed, revealing remarkably concentrated créme de cassis fruit intermixed with licorice, mineral, and toasty oak aromas and flavors along with high tannin in the finish. It tastes like an over-sized Bordeaux given its tannin profile, but the huge wealth of fruit, glycerin, and extract are exceptional. Patience will be essential. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025.

Pride's cabernet vines on top of Spring Mountain ripened their grapes to a potent completion in '99, yielding a reserve with superb integration of tannin, texture and fruit. The ripe damson plum fruit and sweet toast of oak comes together in the flavor of dense chocolate crust on the bottom of a baking sheet. While oak dominates the young wine when first poured, there's a gravelly rasp of tannin that brings the fruit to the fore. It's what cult wines should taste like, supple, sexy and delicious, all dressed up with the inner strength to pull it off. (900 cases).