Serious Napa Action At A Not-So-Serious Price
Rating: More serious than fun with a hefty oak treatment, a great steak wine worth cellaring. $20 or less.
The rest of the story: Full disclosure: This wine was received as a gift from a Winethropology reader.
Almost 4,000 cases of the stuff was made, so it shouldn't be too tough to find. And given the lofty pricing we've grown accustomed to, at $20 this is a relative bargain. Shop around online you might even find it for under $13. At that price, the star rating goes to a solid 4.
Rating: More serious than fun with a hefty oak treatment, a great steak wine worth cellaring. $20 or less.
The rest of the story: Full disclosure: This wine was received as a gift from a Winethropology reader. Matt Bonanno sourced the fruit for his 2007 Cab from growers in Stags Leap, St. Helena, and from a hillside vineyard in the Spring Mountain Appellation. Nice fruit to get your hands on.
We've had other wines from this winery in the past that seemed amateurish. But this wine, by contrast, is well made and very respectable. Though more serious than fun drinking, its quality is certainly admirable. Quintessentially Napa Valley in style The Cab strength is barely offset by a 22% dose of Merlot.
We've had other wines from this winery in the past that seemed amateurish. But this wine, by contrast, is well made and very respectable. Though more serious than fun drinking, its quality is certainly admirable. Quintessentially Napa Valley in style The Cab strength is barely offset by a 22% dose of Merlot.
It's also been given heavy oak treatment (20 months in French oak barrels) probably to help stand up to the tightly wound, blackish fruit. Loaded with tannins, decant for hours before drinking it with a strongly flavored steak. Or test your patience and stick in the cellar for a few years.