Tag Archives: Cabernet

Sunday’s Cabernet Column in the KNS

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2009 Napa Valley Cabernets to seek out while they last

Napa Valley extended its run of outstanding Cabernet vintages to six years in a row with the successful harvest of the 2009 crop, but some vintage trackers are showing a return to mediocrity with the 2010 release. With the possibility of a drop-off looming, now may be the last best chance to secure some quality and yet affordable 2009 Napa Cabernets for the year ahead. With that in mind, I set out to find what’s left of the best.

Back in October, I blogged that the 2009 Martin Ray Cabernet promised to be a viable choice with some classic and comforting cedar notes and an all-out black cherry sensation. Its quality, for an under $20 bottle of Napa Valley Cabernet, may be surpassed by few, but one wine with the most likelihood of doing so is the 2009 Black Stallion.

A virtual newcomer to the Napa Valley wine scene, Black Stallion offers an alluring profile of sweet oak flavors, cinnamon stick aromas and an all-spice cadence that is akin to catching that captivating scent of a freshly unwrapped piece of Big Red. It has a certain something to it that’ll remind you of old-school Christmas charm. For under $20, Black Stallion Napa Valley Cabernet is the quintessential “go to” for cool weather drinking and heartier dinnertime fare.

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Broadsided

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The new 2010 Broadside Cabernet totes a one-two punch of focused fruit with blackberry aromatics and whiffs of Cedar trunk. Sourced from the Margarita Vineyard in Paso Robles, Broadside was recently listed by the New York Times as a Top 12 American wine value. Drier and seemingly less manipulated than a lot of California Cabs in the $15 range, the barrage of beefy notes would have Major Tom agreeing that it’s “just begging for a hunk of meat on the grill.”

The Evergreen State: A thorn in California’s side

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Washington State persistently outshines California with tremendous everyday values and the Thorny Rose is another illustration of that trend.

Very vanilla aromas and sweet oak nuances open up to a gentler style Cabernet that isn’t shy in showing off a cluster of darker berry flavors.

The silky mouth feel and bottle-emptying sense of gulpability of the 2009 Thorny Rose Cabernet, helps to establish it as a new go-to case buy for a weekday or large event red wine.

Keep on rolling with Rickshaw Cabernet

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Typically, Cabernet is not on my mind during the stale humidity of a Southern drought. But sometimes you have to turn the AC down low and dream of a cooler autumn day. That happened last night when I opened up a bottle of the 2010 Rickshaw Cabernet. Rickshaw’s first impression as an opulent and gratifying Cabernet is supported by the pedigree of its fruit sourcing, including the likes of Napa, Alexander Valley and Paso Robles. It may be hard to imagine something so rich going for around $15 but once the dense and dark fruit flavors start rolling around, you may have discovered just the right rickshaw to pull you through the dream-state and into a cooler frame of mind.

Easy-drinking reds perfect for cookouts

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Warm weather usually means the proverbial switch to white wine. However, all those spring and summertime cookouts with lots of burgers and barbecue usually correlate to serving some easy-drinking reds. These four red wine selections are relatively new editions that are affordable, tasty and good all-around pairings.

n 2007 Coppola Celestial Blue Malbec ($14.99): The Godfather has done it again. Writer and director Francis Ford Coppola has once again extended his famous Diamond Collection of wines to include the very hot Malbec grape. Embellished with aromas of clove, pepper and allspice, the 2007 Coppola Malbec offers up black cherry flavors, a hint of cinnamon and a dash of oak influenced black fruit. Leave it to the movie maestro to work his magic on yet another wine. This one is classic Malbec with more fruit-forward enjoyment than the deluge of South American juice flooding the market.

n 2008 Darby & Joan Cabernet ($9.55): The latest roll out by one of Australia’s premier wine groups, the Grateful Palate Imports is the 2008 Darby & Joan Cabernet, an un-oaked red with loads of luscious fruit. Its bouquet opens up with a combination of plum berries and green bell pepper. Although it’s a huge 15 percent in alcohol, Darby & Joan doesn’t hog the glass like it was lugging around a lot of heat. A very gracious dose of watermelon Jolly Rancher does fade toward the end, but for under $10, this one shouldn’t disappoint.

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Three wines worth drinking this year

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At the start of each new year, some people take time to look back and do some personal inventorying, while others prefer to look forward and explore what this new year has to offer. Fortunately for the latter, three wines are emerging as phenomenal super-values in 2011.

- Lamarca Prosecco Brut NV

Just because the New Year has already begun doesn’t mean that you need a special reason to celebrate. You do, however, need a great bubbly to do the celebrating. Lamarca Prosecco (from Italy) isn’t shy in showing a little swagger about being the first Italian Prosecco to make Wine Spectator’s “Top 100″ list. Not nearly as dry as French Champagne, Prosecco creates a softer, more approachable texture with fresh fruit flavors of peach and citrus.

- 2009 Chapoutier Les Vignes de Bila-Haut

While more and more wineries are going out of their way to find flashy ways to market their labels, one French producer is paying attention to what’s behind the label as well. Back in the 90s, Chapoutier became the first winery to put Braille on its label, informing the blind as to where the wine came from, when it was made and whether it’s red or white. Wine promoters may have perceived the change as a stroke of marketing genius, but more importantly, wine lovers were merely impressed that Chapoutier continued to put quality wine in their bottles.

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Grab a Great California Cabernet

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In a universe of unpredictability there is, in spite of everything, one facet of the wine world that has maintained consistency: California still makes great Cabernets. Whether it’s the everyday, dollar-friendly stalwarts like 337 Lodi Cabernet and Bogle Cabernet or the high-end leaders like Caymus and Silver Oak, California is producing excellent Cabernets that offer something delicious in every price range. So in that spirit, this column is devoted to introducing you to some terrific, mid-priced Cabernets that California is currently releasing.

 

It may be impossible not to think of Napa Valley when someone brings up California Cabernet, and there’s a good reason for that. Napa Valley has been the home to great winemaking for the better part of American wine history, and the Raymond family has been a part of that same experience for the past five generations. Located in St. Helena, the Raymond winery stays true to classic Napa Valley varietals including their 2007 Raymond Reserve Cabernet. Fresh and fantastic aromas of lavender and Provencal herbs underscore the uniqueness and luster of this wine. Its structure and body is parallel to a Bordeaux-style Cabernet but the layered fruit finish of black cherry and sweet oak is All-American. An archetypal Cabernet like this needs a fitting partner, so hike down to your favorite butcher and request a fresh serving of your go-to cut of beef. Grill, pour and enjoy!

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