Hi readers! So sorry for the delay in posting! I have been traveling in Europe for the past 10 days, drinking some unbelievable wines (of course). A post on a MUST TRY Sancerre will be coming shortly, but in the mean time, check out this fabulous article (posted below) sent to me by my dear friend Heather. I plan on checking out some of these wines, many of which are quite affordable! I’ll report back with my impressions. ENJOY!
Review by Ryan Flinn
Aug. 9 (Bloomberg) — Spending an afternoon in a Sonoma
Valley vineyard sipping from a heavenly $450 bottle of Verite
2007 La Joie is hard to beat. Shelling out a tenth of that for
something just as memorable is even better.
I recently sampled some of California’s most sought-after -
- and priciest — cult wines. Among the highlights were a 2006
Cardinale Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($250) and the La Joie,
both of which received perfect scores from Wine Enthusiast
magazine and uber-critic Robert Parker.
All were delicious — and unaffordable to the average wine
drinker.
To find bottles that could stand in for their pricier
counterparts, I asked sommeliers, vintners and fellow
connoisseurs for recommendations. The wines had to be limited
production, made with grapes from the same farms that cult
producers use, or have a famous winemaker attached to the
project. Plus, cost as close to $50 as possible.
Petra Polakovicova, wine director at San Francisco’s Epic
Roasthouse, offered me several excellent choices. She first
poured me a 2007 Fisticuffs Napa Cabernet ($25), made by highly
regarded winemaker Jeff Smith, who’s better known for his
Hourglass label ($125).
Fisticuffs sells for $65 at the restaurant, and less than
half of that in shops.
“It’s very well balanced, velvety on the palate and
doesn’t overpower you,” Polakovicova said.
Coffee Flavor
Another wine she recommended was the 2006 B Cellars
Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon ($45) from Kirk Venge. This bottle
presented ripe raspberries, sharp tannins, nice acidity and a
roasted coffee flavor on the finish. A bigger pour was a 2005
Bridesmaid Proprietary Red ($45), which displayed black fruit,
smokiness and a tight structure with ample tannins.
“These are nice, lower priced wines, and people really buy
them,” Polakovicova said.
Smith said Napa vintners have generally ignored lower-
priced quality wines. For instance, he said, cabernet sauvignons
costing less than $30 is a “wide-open” category.
After identifying several more bottles that met my
criteria, I persuaded a friend to organize a dinner of game
meats to showcase these wines. The three-course meal was a
perfect setting for the big, lush, fruity wines I was seeking.
Blueberry Pie
For a first course of rabbit ragu, we tried Sol Rouge’s
2006 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon ($50), whose grapes come from the
same farms that supply cult wines at triple the price. The
sauvignon displayed flavors of blueberry pie, new leather and
dark chocolate.
Another star from the first course was Newton Vineyards
2006 Unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon ($60). During an initial
tasting, this bottle didn’t immediately stand out among its
lusher, more tannic competitors. When paired with food, however,
the wine shines. Many at the table said its wonderful acidity
and earthiness provided a great match for the dish.
The 2006 Hoopes Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon ($65) received
a “yum” from one taster, and others noted its dense red fruit,
ripe plums and dusty flavors mellowed as the night wore on.
For a second course of duck a l’orange, we tasted the Hall
Napa Valley 2006 Kathryn Hall ($75), a wine that received 96 of
100 points from Wine Spectator magazine. It showed a tightly
wound core of red and black fruit, with cocoa notes on the
finish. Nicely balanced and complex, it also comes from the
first California winery to receive the industry’s top
environmental rating.
Screaming Eagle
The Jones Family Vineyards 2006 The Sisters Napa cab ($60)
blend also impressed the party with its bright tannins, milk
chocolate notes, dried blackberries and hint of beef jerky on
the finish. The wine was made by the grand dame of Napa
winemaking, Heidi Peterson Barrett, who used to make the cult
cab Screaming Eagle.
For a final course of grill-fired bison, sliced and served
atop asparagus, we poured a Mirror 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon ($75)
from winemaker Rob Lawson. The wine’s muscular tannins stood up
to the beef, while flavors of blackberries and raspberries
finished out the bottle.
Lawson also made another selection we paired with the last
course, the Ghost Block 2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
($50). This wine was a dense mixture of black fruits and sea
salt, with a strong tannic backbone.
Here’s the best part: Most of these wines are available
with a little searching and are ready to drink now, unlike their
more expensive competition.
Some wines mentioned in the story can only be purchased
through the wineries. Others can be bought at online sites,
including: http://www.cultwinecentral.com,
http://www.klwines.com, http://www.napacabs.com and
http://www.wines.com
