2017 Robert Foley Claret

The 2017 Claret checks in as 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot that was sourced from a handful of sites (mountain and valley floor) and spent 20 months in 30% new French oak. Medium to full-bodied, flawlessly balanced, and with an upfront, charming style, it gives up impressive notes of darker currants, tobacco leaf, dried herbs, and chocolate. This was a difficult vintage for the valley, but Foley has turned out a bevy of terrific wines, and the tannin quality in all of these is impressive.