2004 Spring Valley Vineyard Uriah

Well, it's supposed to be spring, but it's been snowing here all day!  At least it doesn't seem to be sticking, so hopefully all the latest blooms will survive.  It's also the first Saturday of April, and that means Cellar Saturday!  Today I have a special treat that I recently received from Spring Valley Vineyard, the 2004 Uriah, a blend of Merlot (60%), Cabernet Franc (31%), Cabernet Sauvignon (5%) and Petit Verdot (4%).  So let's see how this wine has developed of the past dozen years!

The wine is a beautiful garnet in the glass, with a slight hint of amber along the edges.  The nose presents aromas of blackberry, leather and mint, with just a bit of black pepper spice.  The taste is just lovely, with a good bit of black licorice and blackberry up front that transitions nicely to some notes of mint and black pepper midpalate.  The finish is lovely, as the still robust tannins provide nice backbone for the long, smooth dry finish that exhibits some very Bordeaux like qualities.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's mature and drinking marvelously right now (thankfully I ordered two bottles!).  This wine is a great steak wine, as it's depth of flavor and dry finish would perfectly complement a nice big hunk of beef.  Tonight I am enjoying this with an Angus Manhattan cut strip filet, with a baked potato and some steamed broccoli.  Cheers!