If I were to make a broad statement about the wines of Rubissow (based on my having tasted though them during this interview and then more carefully on my own in the days following), I feel it's safe to say that, overall, they are unmistakably Napa in their culture. More specifically, their collective personalities demonstrate a great deal of subtlety and elegance along with weight and verve, making them sumptuous in their youth — though clearly crafted to age quite gracefully for some years to come.

• 2005 Merlot: Aromas of ripe, juicy plum, and vanilla come through intensely on the palate, lush and soft, with fresh acidity and ripe, thick, grippy tannins.
• 2005 Trompettes: Aromas of ripe, red currant, plum, bramble, subtle tobacco, dry leaf, and vanilla coming through intensely on the palate, with fresh acidity and ripe, dense, chalky tannins.
• 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon: Pronounced, alluring aromas of black currant, white pepper, bramble, forest floor, and herbaceousness, coming through intensely on the palate, lush, full, and soft but with beautifully balancing acidity and ripe, velvety, talc-like tannins.

These three wines are all imminently drinkable now. However, with time, their rich fruit profile and tannin structure will fully integrate to produce wines of extraordinary elegance, astonishing power, and beautiful harmony.

2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: The most sensational wine in the Rubissow portfolio. Pronounced, alluring aromas of black currant, bramble, and ripe plum over damp leaf, all come through intensely on the palate, lush, full, and soft but with beautifully balancing acidity and ripe, smooth, and supple tannins, all culminating in a luxuriously long finish. This wine, though seductively approachable in its youth, is crafted to weather the test of time and will more than likely age gorgeously and gracefully (for at least ten, perhaps fifteen, years) as the fruit components integrate further to produce even greater nuance and complexity.