Neat Thoughts About Food, Wine, Travel & More
Beautifully-made Napa Cabernet. Deep purple in the glass, this wine displays a deep berry, very fragrant nose in the glass. In the mouth, it’s rich and well-balanced with plummy qualities and traces of coffee and cocoa.
Wish I could put a couple cases in my cellar to drink in 10 years.
Pairings: Grilled beef. Cheese course.
Style: Red
Grape Type(s): Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Napa Valley, California
Around $60
Had the opportunity to taste this wine last week at a tasting and it was wonderful. The 2008 Joseph Phelps Insignia is inky in the glass. On the nose, this wine is exactly where I want California Cab to be: dark berries, mocha and chocolate. In the mouth, it’s silky and smooth even this early in its life. There are spicy notes, black licorice and lots of ripe fruit. The finish is slightly tannic and medium in length.
Just a gorgeous wine that will be amazing with some cellaring.
Style: Red Wine
Grape Type(s): 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 4% Merlot
Region: Napa Valley, California
Around $159
Enjoyed this cab at a holiday party last week where my friend decided to uncork all the wines they’d received from friends in the last couple years. The first few bottles were what you’d expect from such an arrangement, but then, I saw him uncorking the 2006 Duckhorn Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and made sure to stay close by to get a couple pours.
Big mouthful or ripe dark berries and cherries with chocolate nuances and a bit of spice. Tannic finish that yearns for roasted meat. Complex yet refined wine – yum.
Around $65.
2006 St Supery Virtu
Virtu is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc (52%) and Semillon (48%). This wine offered a juicy mouthful of peach with an enjoyable mineral finish. This rich, medium-bodied wine would be great with grilled scallops and a slightly oily grilled fish.
Pairings: Fish, seafood, especially seared scallops
Style: White Wine
Grape Type(s): 52% Sauvignon Blancm 48% Semillon
Region: Napa Valley, CA, USA
Price: $27
I’ve tasted and liked the 2008 Honig Sauvignon Blanc in the past, but I recently sampled it again during a Sauvignon Blanc tasting and really enjoyed how different it was compared to the others. Here are three things I appreciated about this wine:
’08 Honig Sauvignon Blanc
1) It is medium-bodied, which I miss in many other Sauvignon Blancs in this price range.
2) As the wine warmed a bit, I got a big mouthful of chewy mango and tons of other tropical fruits.
3) The finish is pleasantly long with bouncy citrusy notes.
I typically think of Sauvignon Blanc for warm Summer parties where a refreshing, uncomplicated wine is de rigueur, but the ’08 Honig would also be perfect with a roasted pork chop in the middle of Winter.
Note: 89 points Robert Parker
Pairings: Fish, seafood, especially seared scallops
Style: White Wine
Grape Type(s): Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Napa Valley, CA, USA
Price: $15.99
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