2008 Behrens Family Erna Schein Blender Boy

The dark ruby/purple-tinged 2008 Blender Boy (50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Cabernet Franc, 14% Petite Sirah and 8% Petit Verdot) exhibits abundant cassis, tobacco leaf, licorice and black fruit characteristics. Supple textured with 15% alcohol, this well-balanced 2008 should be drunk over the next 4-5 years. Les and Lisa Behrens are two of my favorite people in Napa Valley for the simple reason that they love wine and make gorgeously delicious wines with a fun approach that is reflected in their creative labels. They had issues with some of the synthetic corks they used early on, but they are now back to true corks and are, hopefully, on the road to even greater success and good fortune. All their wines now appear under the label Erna Schein. Les and Lisa are like truffle dogs in terms of sniffing out somewhat underrated top sites for Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Early on they discovered many vineyards that were later swiped away by people with more money. However, the Behrens still have a loaded deck of Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards. If you haven’t yet discovered these wines, it’s about time you do. If there is a future in the wine world for real people, Lisa and Les Behrens have to succeed. Tel. (707) 963-1774; www.ernaschein.com