As you drive down the Silverado Trail it is hard to miss the steep, striking Backus Vineyard across the street from Screaming Eagle. The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard (93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot) is a 2,800-case cuvée that tips the scales at 14.9% natural alcohol. Its dense purple color is followed by notes of acacia flowers, blueberry and blackberry liqueur, smoky charcoal and graphite, and a lavish, full-bodied, powerful, concentrated style with a boatload of tannin. This cuvée is never the most precocious of the Phelps Cabernet Sauvignons, but patience is rewarded. Give this 2012 3-4 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 25-30+ years.