2012 Futo, OV/SL Estate Red, Napa Valley, Magnum (1.5L)

RP94 "The 2012 Proprietary Red OVSL is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot. The wine shows juicy, succulent opulence, a dense ruby/purple color and loads of fruit-focused intensity, without the structure and profound depth of the Futo 5500 or Futo Oakville Estate. It is drinking beautifully already, and should continue to do so for 15-20 more years." RP Oct 2015

WS94 "This delivers a taut, focused core of mocha, espresso-laced blackberry, dusty earth, dried herb and tobacco leaf flavors, ending with a cedary cigar box note somewhat reminiscent of a Bordeaux. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2030. 880 cases made." JL for WS Nov 2015

Robert Parker writes, "This is a small but magnificent estate on the lower hillsides of the Oakville corridor in the Mayacamas Mountains just below Bill Harlan’s estate and the Bond Winery. The original wines that came from their Oakville estate have been supplemented by grapes from another estate in Stags Leap, and some blends were put together at a less-expensive price point, one called He-Li-An-Thus and a Stags Leap/Oakville blend called OVSL. The quality of these wines is truly world-class, and what proprietor Tom Futo has done with extraordinary success has been to use a relatively significant percentage of Cabernet Franc with his Oakville blend, while the Stags Leap relies primarily on Cabernet Sauvignon.
The newer estate, which is labeled Futo 5500, is after the address on Silverado Trail. It produces between 375 and 400+ cases of wine that are largely Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated. Aged in the special super-expensive T-5 Taransaud barrels (air-dried for five years prior to coopering), this is a wine of great finesse and elegance and a noteworthy addition to the superstar sweepstakes in Napa Valley. The new babies include an Oakville/Stags Leap blend called OVSL." Published: Oct 29, 2015