Whispering Dove Alter Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
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It is supposedly from a top flight Napa producer, but you've heard our rap on that kind of thing before. Some people will say anything to sell a bottle of wine. All that really matters is what's under the cork. That's why we're all over round two. This is as exciting a deal for this price, which means it legitimately tastes much more classy, ethereal and expensive than it costs and, well, this IS the point. Really deep, perfumed blackberry fruit on the nose as well as notes of spice and vanilla, sleek, slippery, velvety, very distinctively Napa currant fruit on the palate, and everywhere along the way the wine hits perceptibly higher notes than any of it's ‘peers'. It's fun to speculate on possible stories, but this negociant bottling speaks very well for itself. There are other stories we could tell, but we'll save them in case we have to talk about it again. We think it will sell out, but we did buy a huge chunk. It's a legitimate Napa Reserve for half price.
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2001-
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Covering the most vine acreage in the state compared to any other red wine variety, Cabernet Sauvignon produces as much wine in California as Merlot and Pinot Noir combined. The state’s diverse terrain and microclimates, as well as the freedom of its winemakers, allow for an incredible range of wine styles from this single grape.
California’s most famous region—and especially for Cabernet Sauvignon—is the acclaimed Napa Valley. While Cabernet is successful throughout the world, rarely has it achieved such merit as it does from the Napa Valley. At this point the two are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other.
Napa’s closest neighbor, Sonoma County, does an impressive job keeping up with Napa’s fame and glory. Alexander Valley, Sonoma Mountain, Moon Mountain and Knights Valley contribute to the lot of some of California’s top-rated Cabernet Sauvignon.
Lake County in California’s North Coast has become a focus for some of Napa’s more respected growers. From the Central Coast come iconic examples of classic California Cabernet; Lodi and the Sierra Foothills are great budget-friendly sources of amicable Cabernets.