2012 Encantado Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  It was certainly a busy one for me as I was running around getting Christmas trees and finding food for my annual Christmas party next Saturday, and today I bought the biggest tree I've ever bought for the family room, a blue spruce that stands about 9 feet tall and seems to be about 6 feet in diameter at the base!  So it's time to relax, and before you accuse me of repeating a wine post (not that it's never happened) our wine this evening is a little different than the 2012 Encantado Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon as this one is made only from grapes produced in the Oakville AVA, home to some rock star wineries like Silver Oak and Opus One!  But like the regular cab, this one is still produced by Pine Ridge Vineyards, so let's get busy with the wine already!

The wine is a beautiful, deep ruby color in the glass with nice legs.  The nose is just what you'd expect from a high-quality Cabernet from Oakville, ripe black fruit, blackberries, plum and a hint of strawberry over some smoke, baking spice and a bit of mint.  The taste is quite refined, with a burst of mellow fruit up front, ripe berries and plum that transition relatively effortlessly to some earthy notes of tar, dusty limestone and black pepper.  The finish is delightful, as the fine tannins support a rich, velvety mouthfeel amid the long, smooth and exceedingly dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 as this wine has all that I would expect from a $50 bottle, but I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out for just $23!  Like any quality Napa Valley Cabernet, this wine would be perfect with red meat or a variety of hearty dishes perfect for the winter months.  Tonight I am enjoying this with a USDA Prime petite sirloin steak grilled rare with a baked potato and some haricots vert almondine, a classic steak house dinner with a classic Cabernet!  Cheers!