2006 Atlas Peak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's hot and sunny out today, perhaps a last gasp of summer before the Fall truly gets a foothold.  So you'd expect a lighter bodied red for such a summery day, but who ever said I was predictable?  Tonight I cracked open a bottle of 2006 Atlas Peak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, perhaps a rebellious response to so many young cabs (e.g. less than 4 years old) I've been drinking lately.

The wine is a beautiful deep ruby color, and somewhat opaque.  The nose is somewhat earthy, with hints of leather and tobacco, and something else I can't quite wrap my mind around, perhaps licorice?  Maybe I should just leave it as a generic "spice" but there is definitely something else there.  The taste is surprisingly fruit forward, with strong flavors of cherry, mixed with a hint of cedar and very elegant tannin structure giving it an exquisitely smooth and dry finish. 

I must admit, for a Napa Valley cab, this wasn't the big, bold, overpowering wine I might have expected.  Instead, this is a much more structured and balanced wine that I think will draw out the flavors of the food it accompanies.  Tonight, I am pairing this wine with some linguine with red sauce, fresh Italian sausage and sweet red and yellow peppers, and I expect this wine will perfectly accent such a flavor rich dish, particularly once it opens up a bit as I am cooking!  Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it might have been higher, but for the price.  I got this one from wineshopper.com for a discounted price of just $25, which is still a little steep for today's frugality, but you have to splurge sometimes right?