About that wine I dangled in front of you yesterday. The one that totally blew me away on one of the first evenings of the New Year. The one I fear I cannot live without, now that I’ve made its acquaintance. The one that will put me in the poorhouse if I don’t get over it, fast.
My discovery of Caymus “Special Selection” Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 was a doubly delicious surprise, given the fact that I am not a huge Cab fan and, in fact, probably don’t drink a dozen bottles of the varietal in a year. (I do, on the other hand, make a serious dent in the world’s production of Pinot Noir.) I was agog from the very first sip. The luscious fruit; the smoothness; the lively, concentrated, come-hither aroma. I sensed the great character, elegance and all the other serious things, like body and acidity, that important wines are supposed to have. But all I really wanted to focus on was the delicious flavor.
The next day I did a little research and learned that Caymus winemaker Chuck Wagner believes that blending creates a ”friendly character in the bottle.” This particular Napa Valley Cab is a blend of mountain fruit which lends structure and “enriches the sweet fruit of the Valley floor.” I also learned that the Wagner family, in Napa Valley since 1906 and making wine since 1972, also makes Meiomi Pinot Noir which fifth-generation winemaker Joseph J. Wagner calls a “pure-bred enjoyment wine” and which I call my house wine (I buy it by the case at Costco for about $17).
The Wine Spectator had this to say about Caymus "Special Selection:" "Firm, intense and well-structured, with a mix of spicy oak, red and black currant, mineral, sage and dusty berry. Turns elegant and refined, yet shows a sturdy backbone on the finish."
And Robert Parker weighed in: "A barrel sample of the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection offers terrific fruit intensity and purity, a more laid-back style, a meaty, chewy texture, and impressive opulence as well as length. It should evolve for 10-15 years." (For folks who care about the numbers, it gets 94 points from Wine Spectator; 92-94 from Parker.)
So now I know --- I’m a sucker for “laid-back” Cabs.
Unfortunately, it’s unlikely I’ll get to enjoy my new true love again soon, if ever. According to Web wine merchant K&L, a bottle costs $169.99. I was lucky enough to have a generous neighbor who brought the bottle to dinner at our house last week.
Alas, as the old saying goes: “Better to have drunk and lost than never to have drunk at all.”
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