{"id":76,"date":"2010-05-09T20:36:00","date_gmt":"2010-05-09T20:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/?p=76"},"modified":"2010-05-09T20:36:00","modified_gmt":"2010-05-09T20:36:00","slug":"so-there-i-was-downtown-hailing-a-cab-on-a-monday-afternoon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/?p=76","title":{"rendered":"So there I was downtown, hailing a Cab on a Monday afternoon\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Actually, it was somewhere in the order of 76 Cabs, give or take. After a while, Your West Coast Oenophile<\/strong> kinda lost count, but then, these are the hazards of duty I encounter when attending single-varietal showcases for Sostevinobile<\/span>. Still, given the choice of spending my day in front of a monitor or sipping from the best at the California Cabernet Society<\/a>, it was really no contest.

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As was last year\u2019s event, the 20th Annual Spring Barrel Tasting<\/a> was held at San Francisco\u2019s Bently Reserve. Once again, the overall quality of the wine made making critical distinctions somewhat of a challenge; indeed, if there was an indisputable champion among the presentation tables, it may well have been the extraordinary Wagyu from Morgan Ranch<\/a>, braised to near perfection. Lipitor be damned! This station commanded more repeat visits than anyone else this afternoon!
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But, of course, the purpose of this event was not to assuage the carnivore in me but to showcase the wine that put California on the viticultural map. The first table I came upon, Grassi Wines<\/a>, set the tone for the afternoon with a released 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong> and a barrel sample of their upcoming 2009 vintage. The tantalizing Cassandra Grassi managed, however, to tantalize me with the allure of Grassi\u2019s soon-to-be-released 2009 Ribolla Gialla<\/strong>, which I plan to sample on my next Napa swing. Another Napa denizen, Baldacci Vineyards<\/a> poured a selection of the several Cabernets they produce, both the 2006 IV Sons Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District<\/strong> and their much-honored 2006 Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District<\/strong>. And it was great to have another chance to sample the 2006 Concept <\/strong>from Cain<\/a>, the purest Cabernet Sauvignon among their family of Bordelaise blends.
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Maybe the truest differential of the afternoon came from the names, particularly for the Meritages or for those Cabernets the winemakers chose to give proprietary labels. A stellar example heralded from Santa Ynez\u2019 Star Lane Vineyard<\/a>, the 2005 Astral<\/strong>, their premium Cabernet. From Calistoga, Carter Cellars<\/a> caused quite a stir, not merely for the surprisingly excellent quality of their wines (though listing a pedigree that includes Nils Venge, Jeff Fontanella and Beckstoffer To Kalon ought to have been a harbinger)<\/em>, but also for their 2007 Coliseum Block<\/strong>, a luxuriant Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2008 Envy Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong>. Terlato Family\u2019s Chimney Rock<\/a> paired its 2006 Tomahawk<\/strong> with a barrel sample of their 2009 Ganymede Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong>, both of Stags Leap<\/span>. Cliff Lede<\/a>\u2019sStags Leap entrant, the aptly named 2006 Poetry<\/strong>, a Cab softened with 2% each of Merlot and Petit Verdot<\/span>. Sonoma\u2019s Simi<\/a> blended Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec with the predominant Cabernet Sauvignon to make its single vineyard 2006 Landslide<\/strong>, while its 2006 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley<\/strong> boasted a more streamlined blend.
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Some wineries can\u2019t help but make great Cabernet, the only nuance coming from the vintage. To no surprise, I savored my sip of the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill<\/strong> from Diamond Creek<\/a> as I exchanged pleasantries with Boots Brounstein. Similarly, my chat with Richard Arrowood allowed me to indulge both in the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong> from his Amapola Creek<\/a>, as well as his newly-released 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Valley<\/strong> from his eponymous Arrowood Vineyards<\/a>. Peju Provence<\/a> was superb, as one might have expected, with their 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley<\/strong>, a blend that features both 7% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot, while the delightfully eccentric polyglot, Jan Shrem, regaled me in Italian as he poured his Clos P\u00e9gase<\/a> 2006 Cabernet Hommage Artist Series Reserve<\/strong>.
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Readers know that I scrupulously try to avoid sweeping generalizations in these entries, and certainly the selections we will make for Sostevinobile<\/span><\/strong>\u2019s wine program will be assessed on the quality of each wine, not any established bias. Still, if I found any consensus on this particular afternoon, it was that those wineries that featured their 2007 vintage seemed to offer a more compelling display of their viticultural prowess than I perceived overall in the wines from 2006. Case in point\u2014the newly released 2007 Entre Nous<\/strong> from Ashe Family Vineyards<\/a>, a strikingly rich bottling of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon limited to a mere four barrels. The estate bottling of the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District<\/strong> from Barnett Vineyards<\/a>, balanced with small aliquots of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, similarly distinguished itself. Temecula\u2019s Briar Rose<\/a> contrasted several vintages of its Cab, with the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Linkogle Estate Collection<\/strong> clearly showing its potential for longevity.
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Few California wineries grow Carm\u00e9n\u00e8re, let alone blend it with its fellow Bordeaux varietals, but Alexander Valley\u2019s Chalk Hill<\/a> has embraced it for years. I failed to notate the percentages blend in their 2007 Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong> but, again, found it preferable to the 2006 vintage, a blend that eked in at 76% Cabernet, along with its other components. The 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong> from the Buoncristiani<\/a> brothers displayed an amazing texture, while Lorena and Rolando Herrera from Mi Sue\u00f1o<\/a> crafted an elegant 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong> <\/span>of their own. Just north of St. Helena, tiny Tudal Winery<\/a>, a single varietal operation, showcased a pair of its wines, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve and the 2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong>\u2014with a total of 600 cases a year, both flourished under Tudal\u2019s handcrafted methodology.
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As is my wont<\/span> at these tastings<\/span>, I strive first to connect with those wineries I have yet to incorporate into Sostevinobile<\/span>\u2019s database. <\/span>Alexander Valley\u2019s Blue Rock Vineyards<\/a> introduced themselves with their flagship 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong>. Laurie Claudon of Clark-Claudon Vineyards<\/a> offer her sustainably produced 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong>, a noteworthy 1,000-case effort. A member of the Silenus<\/a> cooperative, Mario Baz\u00e1n Cellars<\/a> produces the classic Bordeaux pairing of Sauvignon Blanc and their unblended 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon. I, of course, am well-familiar with Agustin Huneeus\u2019 Quintessa<\/a>, but had not previously encountered his Faust<\/a> wines, a separate venture dedicated solely to Cabernet Sauvignon; winemaker Charles Thomas generously rounded out the striking 2006 Faust <\/strong>with 19% Merlot, plus 3% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc. Contrast this blend with the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon <\/strong>from Calistoga\u2019s Jericho Canyon<\/a>, a straightforward Cab with a mere 3% Merlot added.
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Naming a winery The Grade<\/a> seemed quirky, if not ambiguous, until owner Tom Thornton cited the allusion from Robert Louis Stevenson\u2019s The Silverado Squatters<\/em><\/strong>; tasting their 2006 The Grade Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong> left no confusion about their craft, while a surreptitious sip of their 2009 Sea-Fog Sauvignon Blanc<\/strong> was a nice counterpoint to the plethora of red wine I continued to evaluate. Also in the category of hard-to-fathom names, the Most Wanted Wine Company<\/a> turned out to be a Wild West-themed venture from Oakdale, a town I have since discovered lies somewhere en route from Manteca to Jamestown; fortunately, their 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong> proved far less grating than their music-laden Web site. Perhaps the last word in Cabernet, ZD Wines<\/a>, derives its name from the acronym for aerospace quality control\u2014Zero Defects\u2014an attribute that could just as easily applied to their organically-grown 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley<\/strong>.<\/span><\/div>\n

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I had passed by Volker Eisele Family Estate<\/a> during my recent, inadvertent tour of Chiles Valley but hadn\u2019t had the time to stop in. Their compelling 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong> is also farmed organically, but I wish they had also brought their unique 2006 Terzetto<\/strong>, a blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, co-fermented. Actually, I was surprised that no one (at least, among the wineries I sampled)<\/em> had poured a Cabernet Franc at this tasting\u2014after all, it does fall within Cab Society parameters. Nor did I stumble upon any Bordeaux\/Rh\u00f4ne blends, as I often find in Lodi and in Paso Robles. Varozza Vineyards<\/a>, however did pour both their estate grown 2005 St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon <\/strong>and their 2005 St. Helena Petite Sirah<\/strong>, a welcome diversion from the monolithic pourings of the event.
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Inarguably, Cabernet is the cornerstone of Napa Valley, so is Cornerstone Cellars<\/a> the cornerstone of cornerstones? Rather than ponder such a conundrum, I sipped their immodest 2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong> with unabashed delight. I equally enjoyed the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Hendry Vineyard<\/strong> from Hendry Ranch<\/a>, and look forward to sampling their Albari\u00f1o and Primitivo at a future date. The steep terrain of Hidden Ridge<\/a> helps shape the terroir<\/em><\/strong> of its Cabernet-exclusive production, making its 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon 55% Slope<\/strong> a most distinctive wine.
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A trio of wineries from Napa comported themselves quite ably as I again established my first contact with their ventures. Silverado Vineyards<\/a>, with limited production of Sangiovese and other Italian varietals, held forth with their 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong>. Nearby, in Rutherford, Sullivan Vineyards<\/a> similarly showcased their 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong>.<\/span> And Titus<\/a> from St. Helena impressed me with their 2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon<\/strong>
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In my efforts to embrace as many wineries as I can for Sostevinobile<\/span><\/strong>, I sometimes overlook long-established labels, thinking I already know their craft quite well. This afternoon\u2019s lesson in not taking wineries for grant first came from Spring Mountain\u2019s Keenan Winery<\/a>. I found their 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District<\/strong> quite compelling and their special Tribute, the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, 30th Anniversary<\/strong> even more so. Similarly, Merryvale<\/a> struck me with a trio of their Cabernets, first the affordably-priced 2007 Starmont<\/strong> Cabernet, then their signature 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley<\/strong>, and finally with their extraordinary 2006 Profile<\/strong>, a limited-release Cabernet Sauvignon blended with 2% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc.
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Admittedly, I found myself Cabbed out at this point, vowing not to sip another of these wines at least until Tuesday. And certainly I knew I would return, same address, same staging in a few months to come, to work my way through the bounty of Howell Mountain\u2019s Cabernets and, of course, another infusion of Wagyu beef!
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<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Actually, it was somewhere in the order of 76 Cabs, give or take. After a while, Your West Coast Oenophile kinda lost count, but then, these are the hazards of duty I encounter when attending single-varietal showcases for Sostevinobile. Still, given the choice of spending my day in front of a monitor or sipping from the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,4,103,17,2,10,75,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-76","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cabernet-franc","category-cabernet-sauvignon","category-carmenere","category-malbec","category-petit-verdot","category-petite-sirah","category-ribolla-gialla","category-sauvignon-blanc"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=76"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=76"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=76"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=76"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}