Lexington Wine Co. Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Cruz Mountains 2017 (750ml) *

High in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Cabernet Sauvignon takes on a cooler, more measured cast than it does in California's warmer valleys, and this 2017 from Lexington Wine Co. sits squarely in that mold. It is a mountain-grown Cabernet from one of the coast's higher-elevation appellations, a red built for structure rather than sheer flesh.

The nose opens with polished, ripe boysenberry, accessible and smooth rather than showy. The palate turns more serious, with savory notes of soy and cracked pepper alongside a light lift of lavender, while that baked boysenberry fruit lingers quietly underneath. The overall impression is composed and layered, fruit up front giving way to something more savory and grown-up.