93
Cliff Lede 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Dancing Heart Stags Leap District Napa Valley 15.2% $110
This is a Rock Block Series wine, which bears a label that looks nothing like the other Cliff Lede labels. This series began when David Abreu was hired to manage the vineyards. Cliff began naming the micro-blocks after rock songs and albums, and every vintage features a specially-named "mash up" of two or more of these blocks.

"These go to eleven" is the motto on the back label. If that is in reference to its powerful alcoholic strength, I can only agree on the intensity. Of course, there are positives here, especially the brilliant fruit purity that delivers a delightfully complex array of blueberry compote, black cherry preserves and dried fig. However, this is an unruly wine that, especially served at room - not cellar - temperature, turns visciously powerful. I have no qualms with high alcohol wines as long as they are balanced, but this wine thuds on the palate between its turbo-charged alcoholic strength and modest acidity. It's enticingly exotic to taste, but this wine is not very drinkable to my tastes.
Drink: 2020-30 

92
Cliff Lede 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District Napa Valley 14.9% $78
Crafted from fruit hailing from two estate-held vineyards, Poetry and Twin Peaks, this Stags Leap District Cab is showy. Napa's ripe fruit decadence can be smelled on the rich nose of dried black currants and succulent black plums lifted with a heavy smear of menthol vapor rub. The mouthcoating texture delivers a hedonistic, luxurious sensation of generous alcohol gently encased by chewy tannins and mild acidity. The palate feels so thick enough that it seems I might need a steak knife to cut through it. The generous finish is warm with alcohol but does show attractive flinty tones. When you pop the cork, do finish the bottle. Stoppered with a VaccuVin and placed back in the wine fridge, it did not fare well on Day 2.
Drink: 2020-27