Tannins and fruit

[wondersofwine]

Jmaan,
You might take a look at this website:
http://www.hesscollection.com/wines.cfm
The Hess Collection Winery in Napa has three designations of wine from the less expensive and approachable earlier (Hess Select) to the mid-grade in price and quality (Hess Estate) to the most expensive and worthy of aging (Hess Collection). Vintage Wines in San Diego (one that Winoweenie has recommended to me and others on the board) has a 1999 Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon Estate listed for $19.99 which might be drinking well now. Some of the 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon (generally a very good vintage) would probably be about ready to drink but the more prominent ones are hard to locate or expensive. For example, Robert Mondavi C.S. Reserve from 1997 shows online for around $50 to over $100 a bottle (and you can't always be sure about storage unless a reputable wine shop vouches for their own storage). The Caymus Special Selection for 1997 starts at about $110 a bottle and goes up from there! I've been on the lookout for Cal Cabs that are a little less tannic to begin with like the Simi Cabs from Sonoma and Sequoia Grove from a slightly softer vintage such as 1998.