2004 Carmela Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, here's a new wine from my recent road trip out west, the 2004 Carmela Cabernet Sauvignon.  Now as I traveled, I learned that wine making has taken root in a variety of spots, from Missouri to Iowa, to Montana and Idaho.  It appears the Snake River Valley has become somewhat of an emerging wine region, perhaps comparable to Washington 30 or 40 years ago.  So as I was driving toward the Oregon border I saw a sign for a winery and decided to stop at Glenns Ferry, Idaho.

Now as you can see, this was a pretty little winery, not far from the Snake River, and they have about 40 acres of grapes that they grow themselves, but they also source from some other vineyards in the Snake River Valley.  I went into their tasting room and was surprised by the quality of the wines, though they weren't like Napa Valley, some of them were quite good, so I ended up leaving with a half case!

Tonight's wine is the 2004 Carmela Idaho Cabernet Sauvignon.  Now I let the wine open up a bit in the glass for about 45 minutes, but it's still a much lighter bodied Cab than might be typical of the big wines of Napa, but it's nice to see the way different terroirs express themselves through the grape and into the glass.  The wine present a nose of cedar, black pepper, an black currant, along with stronger notes of earth and musk.  The taste is somewhat fruit forward, with hints of blackberry and a peppery spice, the tannins are surprisingly mellow creating a very smooth, dry finish.

It's an interesting wine that really shows the dry climate and volcanic soils of the region, and although I had to drive 1,800 miles to get it, I'd rate this wine a solid 7.  From a region whose wines I hadn't tried before, this one was a nice surprise.  As for pairings, tonight I am having it with a typical Idaho dinner of rare Angus T-bone steak, along with some wonderful grilled veggies, including red onion, leeks, purple asparagus, red, orange and white peppers, yummy!