The purple-colored 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Indian Wells (with 10% Syrah included) was sourced from the Wahluke Slope and Indian Wells Vineyard and aged for 18-20 months in predominantly new French and American oak. The nose reveals smoke, spice box, violets, black cherry, and black currant. This leads to a dense, sweet, layered Cabernet with enough fine-grained tannin to evolve for another 2-3 years. It will offer prime drinking from 2011 to 2018. Chateau Ste. Michelle continues to demonstrate that a winery can be large and quality-oriented at the same time. Their current collection is as good as or better than anything it has done in the past. Tel. (425) 415-3300; www.ste-michelle.com

Less exciting than the Indian Wells Merlot, the Cabernet seems stiff, austere and constrained. The addition of 10% Syrah may have added some spice and sweet berry, but the underlying Cabernet fruit seems tannic and slightly stemmy, and the wine doesn’t quite knit together. After the first hit of berry flavored fruit, it turns hard and tannic.——P.G.(6/1/2009)—— 86