The Oakville district has been home to some of Napa’s most coveted Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards for over 130 years. Winemaker Genevieve Janssens used the classic five-grape Bordeaux blend from fruit harvested form the legendary To Kalon vineyard to craft this, dense, inky, muscular red. Redolent of tar, graphite, cassis, black liquorice and tobacco, it’s going to need a few years to really explode. Give it at least a few more years; 15 more if you’re young.
Combining the “Fumé” of Pouilly-Fumé with “Blanc” from Sauvignon Blanc may have been a bit of marketing genius on Robert Mondavi’s part, but this wine sports more than just a clever name. Pretty potent at 14.5% ABV, but with no detectable heat, this FB shows ripe melon, flint, grapefruit, wet stone, and some subtle herbal aromatics, with fresh, crunchy citrus, green melon, fennel and mineral/smoke flavours. Tasting through a range of older Mondavi FBs suggest this wine will probably develop additional complexity with a few more years in the bottle.
Joel Peterson may be “The Godfather of Zin,” but that hasn’t stopped him form making decidedly non-wimpy wines from other varietals. His 2014 Petite Sirah is redolent of woodsmoke, tar, wet slate, black current and dried herbs. Mineral-tinged, with flavour nuances of blackberry, smoke, and dark berries, it boasts significant weight, medium tannins and a long finish.
Heady, opulent, bold and pretty in-your-face — if that sounds like your cup ‘o wine, then this is probably your cup. Loaded with bramble, cocoa, black cherry, mint, cedar and mocha, this is a big, bold, chewy Zin that nevertheless shows nice balance and depth. Rich and ripe on the palate with dark chocolate, dried herbs, black raspberry and, interestingly, a hint of iodine. If you want to put some muscle where your mouth is.
Winemaker Gary Sitton blended 75% Cabernet Sauvignon with 13% Merlot, 6% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc then aged the assemblage in a combination of French, Eastern European and French. The result is an aromatic red showing mocha, black currant, cherry and a hint of graphite. Ripe and mildly spicy, it’s full of dark plum and blackberry flavours with some smoky/mineral notes.
If Napa is California’s answer to Bordeaux (more or less), then Sonoma — notably the Russian River Valley — could be it’s Burgundy (sort of). Ripe pear aromas buttressed with suggestions of baked apple, clove, melted butter, lime zest and vanilla bean give way to a restrained, elegant, creamy palate featuring lemon custard, toasted/buttered nuts, and crisp ripe apple. The finish is long, with subtle spice and hints of caramel.
With warm weather coming your way, grab some charcoal and a bottle of this wine for your next outdoor cookout. Grown on steep mountainous vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon is blended with Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec. Aged in both French and American barrels, the wine offers layers of spice and toasty oak nuances which will complement the charred flavours of the grill. A lively palate of lush wild cherries, cassis and blackberries are framed with hints of anise, mocha and cedar. Robust and full-bodied with chewy tannins that will go perfectly with the first steak of the summer. Time to fire up that grill!