Terra Valentine Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Cabernet Sauvignon
from Napa Valley, California
winemaker's notes:
The nose opens with deep plum, violets, cedar and bittersweet chocolate. Bright cola berry follows with notes of caramel and dried fig and a lingering, dark cocoa finish. Will age nicely for the next 5-7 years.
95% Cab Sauv, 2% Cab Franc, 3% Merlot. Aged for 20 months in French oak barrels, 33% of which were new.
"This is the winery's basic appellation bottling, and while it's not as rich or ageable as their other two vineyard bottling, it's a fine Cabernet Sauvignon. Dry and tannic, the black currant flavors are accompanied by wilder tastes of nettles and pine."
Wine Enthusiast, 90 points
"The soft, super-ripe fruit and the tense, mineral tannins seem to stand apart for now, making this wine black and indecipherable. The tannins are compelling, their tough, mountain-grown character clarifying some of the structure as the wine takes on air. For the cellar, then for thick-cut lamb chops."- Wine & Spirits, 91 points
