2012 Stag's Leap Artemis

Ahhh...a happy Sunday, time for a great Sunday dinner and a nice bottle of wine to go with it (I won't even mention that it's also Valentine's Day, but rest assured, you can certainly enjoy tonight's selection with your lover or anyone else you choose!).  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of one of my favorite Napa Valley wines, from a very solid vintage, the 2012 Stag's Leap Artemis, named after the Greek goddess of the hunt (see I told you I'd get you a Valentine's Day reference!).  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (89%), Merlot (9%) and Malbec (2%).

The wine is a classic Cabernet in the glass, with an inky black center leading to bright ruby along the edges.  The nose presents inviting aromas of black cherry, plum and a hint of vanilla over soft notes of leather and smoke.  The taste is a blast of ripe fruit up front, cherry, red currant and berries, that transitions nicely to some mineral notes of dusty limestone midpalate.  The tannins are round and supple, supporting the long, elegant and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's a classic Napa Valley Cabernet and it was a decent value as I scored this bottle from wineshopper.com for just $40.  I will also confess, the wine took some time to open up, as it was very tight after opening, but it really began to sing about an hour or so after opening.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic pairing, of a rare grilled New York strip topped with grilled onions along with grilled Brussels sprouts and a baked potato.  An ideal wine with steak, cheers!