2007 Atlas Peak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Cellar Saturday!  Today is the first Saturday of March, so it's a day where I raid my cellar and open a bottle that's had at least a decade of life, and since it's 2017, that means all those wonderful Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons from the outstanding 2007 vintage are suddenly eligible!  And tonight we have just such a wine, the 2007 Atlas Peak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (90%), Cabernet Franc (3%), Merlot (3%), Malbec (3%) and Petit Verdot (1%) that's been waiting for me to open since at least 2010.  This wine is also interesting in that it blends wine from a number of different mountain appellations, including Atlas Peak, Howell Mountain, Spring Mountain and Mount Veeder, so let's see how this one is drinking now.

The wine is a classic Napa Cabernet, with deep, inky black at the center and bright ruby along the edges.  The nose a fantastic rush of leather, oak, vanilla and ripe dark fruit that practically begs you to take a sip.  The taste is just amazing with a rush of ripe fruit, black cherry, blackberry and blueberry, that lingers a bit as the more complex notes of vanilla, mocha and spice rise up, only to be displaced by some lovely mineral notes with just a hint of mint.  The tannins are remarkably structured, to give the wine a velvety, and full mouthfeel and an incredibly smooth, voluptuous and dry finish that seems to last five minutes.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as this is just a fabulous Cabernet from an outstanding vintage that was well worth the wait.  This wine would pair well with just about anything, but of course Napa Cabs are classic with steak, so tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a rare grilled Angus New York Strip, with a big baked potato with sour cream and chives and some grilled asparagus with olive oil.  Cheers!