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 | 2005 Stewart Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
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Ratings and Awards
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Varietal:
| Cabernet Sauvignon
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| | | Score | User | City | State | Country | Tasting Notes | Time |
| 75 | | | 92 | JaneGarvey | Atlanta | Georgia | USA | Looking for an impressive California Cabernet Sauvignon without reaching to triple digits? Here’s a serious piece of work (Paul Hobbs is the consulting winemaker) from a family-owned and -run operation. Odds are you might actually prefer it to some of the big name options if you tasted them side by side. While initially tight and quite closed, this opaque deep purple red wine soon yields a warming spice component that enhances intense dark fruit aromas. Sweet black fruit seems monochromatic at first, but yields coffee and dark chocolate characters. Even red raspberry emerges from the welter of black fruit flavors. Tannins are spot on. The long finish and fleshy grace of this intense, fruit-expressive wine would appeal to a wide audience. Mostly new French oak lends spice to the mixture. Grapes are a blend of fruit from three excellent vineyards: Stagecoach; Beckstoffer IV, and State Lane. Anybody out there remember those magnificent State Lane Cabs that Beringer used to produce back in the 1980s? You get the picture. Big but not clumsy. Serve at a slightly cool-to-the-touch temperature, about 65ºF/17ºC, so point up the fruit. And by all means decant several hours ahead of serving. This one is a good keeper if well cellared. Days after being opened, the wine still tasted true. Foods: Rich, dense liver pâté; filet mignon with a slice of pâté or poached beef marrow on top; prime rib with Parmesan whipped potatoes; grilled breast of duck rubbed with five-spice powder; roast duck; rack of lamb or lamb steak (cut from the leg) rubbed with cocoa powder and coffee, exotic spices; smoked beef brisket.
Hemispheres | 12/01/2009 |
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