The 2018 Caves des Lions is powerful and velvety, a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon and 36% Cabernet Franc made with free-run juice and aged 28 months in 100% new French oak. It needs plenty of air before unfolding to singular aromas of fresh tobacco leaves and mushroom powder, potpourri and bitter chocolate, shifting from savory fruit to stony mineral notes in the glass over time. The cashmere-textured palate offers youthful Morello cherries and spices, kaleidoscopic and persistent, its flavors lingering long after the last sip is gone.