2012 Seven Hills Pentad Vintage Red Wine

Ok, before you leave an anonymous comment that this is a truly age worthy wine that you shouldn't even be opening for another five years, yes, you are correct, the 2012 Seven Hills Pentad is a terrifically age worthy wine which is why I bought a case of it!  The wine is a classic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (67%), Petit Verdot (11%), Merlot (8%), Malbec (7%) and Carmenere (7%) with only 310 cases produced.  I haven't had a taste of this remarkable blend since the 2009 vintage and I had this case unopened for nearly a month before I gave in to temptation and opened a bottle tonight!  So please, let me enjoy this!

The wine itself is a beautiful dark ruby color in the glass with great clarity.  The nose is a rich combination of leather, dark cherry, espresso and some floral notes.  The taste is really exceptional, with some lovely ripe berry notes up front that transition beautifully to some lovely tart cherry and mocha notes midpalate.  The finish is showing remarkable potential as there is just a hint of tightness in the tannins, creating a classic youthful dry twang, but it subsides very quickly to reveal a soft, voluptuous finish that just tempts you to keep the whole bottle for yourself!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, with room to improve with some time in the cellar.  The wine is not inexpensive at $75, but it's certainly worth splurging on for a special occasion (like a Friday night when I've already finished grocery shopping!).  Tonight I am enjoying this with a nice rare Angus New York Strip topped with some bleu cheese along with grilled leeks and Brussels sprouts and a classic baked potato.  This really is a perfect prime steak wine as the fruit and earthy minerality just shine with beef!  Cheers!