Lexington Wine Co. Apex Santa Cruz Mountains 2018 (750ml) *

Mountain fruit tends to carry more structure than valley-floor Cabernet, and the Apex bottling from Lexington Wine Co. leans into that idea. This is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend grown in the Santa Cruz Mountains, a cool, elevated stretch of coastal California, and the 2018 vintage strikes a balance between generous fruit and the firmer backbone the hillsides give.

Bold and punchy in the glass, with dark red cherry and plum out front, then layers of spice, new leather, licorice, mocha and dried herbs building underneath. There's a real sense of energy here, less about opulence than about drive and definition. Give it a year or two in the cellar to let the structure soften and the fruit settle into place.