Some of you may not know the Amapola label, but you certainly know the winemaster behind the bottle—Richard Arrowood. In 2010, he left Arrowood to focus on a handful of little gems at Amapola, a tiny ultra-premium winery in Sonoma. I had the pleasure of interviewing Richard shortly after he departed Arrowood and the passion he shared for his new venture was simply amazing. I expect great things to come out of this winery for many years to come.

The ’06 Amapola Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is ripe, rich and delicious—a Cabernet that will knock your socks off and then some. It’s intense with all of the flavors you would expect from the Sonoma region—blackberry, black cherry, spice and everything nice with a dash of black tea and plum. This is what I call a yowzer of a wine (translation: an exclamation of delight) and it’s tannic enough to grace our presence 15 years from now. It’s on my “must have” wines for 2010 and I’d highly recommend cellaring this rascal for a while to reap the benefits this wine will unfold in a decade or so.

~Pamela Heiligenthal

Rating: 91 | $80 | 14.7% ABV

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