Wine & Words

Now for the most commonly requested red wine...Cabernet Sauvignon. Actually this grape, which developed its reputation as the backbone of the great red wines of Bordeaux, was the most widely planted grape in the world until the 1990's when it was surpassed by the other big red of Bordeaux...Merlot. Just as with Chardonnay, the Cabernet Sauvignon grape is hardy and adaptable, growing well in a wide range of conditions and producing different styles of wine depending on how it is grown and vinified. The "standard" for Cabernet Sauvignon wines in the US are those from California's Napa valley. These have developed a cult following for small production vineyards that capture the "terroir" of a certain acre of some of the most expensive real estate on the planet. But the expense of the real estate (and the cultishness of the cachet) have led to prices for the best Napa cabs that surpass even the great Premiers Crus of Bordeaux. So we're not going to start in Napa. We're going to go further south, to Paso Robles, and one of our favorite California winemakers, Tobin James.
Tobin James "Notorious" Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (Paso Robles, California)
We have a customer who came in periodically to see if we had any good Napa Cabs.  I continually disappointed him.  One day, when I wasn't there, Chef Yvonne turned him on to the Tobin James "Notorious."  It's now his favorite, and he comes back regularly to drink at the font.
The most notable characteristic of Tobin James wines is that they are "heavily extracted."  That's wine talk for a style of winemaking that gets the most typical fruit flavors from perfectly ripened grapes.  When you open this wine the aroma fairly jumps out of the glass.  I like the description I read online - "juicy dark fruit consumes your palate."  Mmmm, that's a big glass of wine.  Not my favorite red to go with a wide variety of cuisines.  But when I want a big red, maybe to pair with a steak or some smoky barbecue, "Notorious" will surely fill the bill.
Cousiño-Macul Antiguas Reservas Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (Maipo Valley, Chile)
The 2006 vintage represents the 79th year in which Cousiño-Macul has produced an Antiguas Reservas, the winery's signature wine. Since its debut in 1927, Antiguas Reservas has always been a limited selection of the very best Cabernet Sauvignon from the Cousiño-Macul estate vineyards in Chile's Maipo Valley. Over the years, Cousiño-Macul has maintained its classic style with this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon by combining New World ripeness with Old World elegance, finesse, and a framework to age long and well. Since 1997, virtually every vintage has been rated 90 Pts by the wine press.  And it's been a perennial best seller at Wine & Words.
This wine shows the age-worthiness of Cabernet Sauvignon wines.  Robert Parker of  The Wine Advocate (90 Pts) wrote: It has enough structure to evolve for 2-3 years but can be enjoyed now. It will be at its best from 2010 to 2018.  The "structure" he refers to is the backbone of dryness that's provided by the tannin that is in the skins of dark red grapes.  The tannin serves as a perservative, but it can be quite sharp when young.  It'll give you that uncomfortable feeling of dry-mouth furriness.  The tannins soften as the wine ages, leaving enough structure to make the wine a great pair to any food that has fat in it.  Where's the beef?  Paired with a great steak the fat in the meat smooths the tannins and the tannins cut through the fat, making your mouth very happy indeed.
Catena Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (Mendoza, Argentina) 

We Featured this one very recently, but when Mary and I talked about which Cabs to Feature this week, we just had to come back to it.  Robert Parker gave this vintage 90 Pts and called it "an outstanding Cabernet value."  That's our kind of wine.  Unless you're a card-carrying member of the Napa cult, I think you can get as much satisfaction from this wine as from a wine that's 6 times the price.