2002 Young Ridge Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

It's the first Saturday of the new month, so of course that means it's Cellar Saturday!  It's that lovely day when I raid the cellar for some bottle that's been developing for a decade or more.  Tonight I've opened a bottle that's been developing for a while, but it just hasn't been in my cellar that long, the 2002 Young Ridge Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, which I recently bought on Wines Till Sold Out.  While not quite to the level of 2007 or 2012-14, the 2002 Napa vintage was characterized by a mild growing season and some late season warmth that pushed the ripening, resulting in concentrated fruit.  So let's see how this wine is tasting now that it's old enough to get a driver's license!

The wine is a deep, inky purple at the center with garnet along the edges.  The nose is expressive of age and maturity, with notes of ripe plum, with blackberry and cassis along with some earthy aromas of leather and graphite.  The taste is remarkably fruit forward, with a blast of ripe cherry, blueberry and plum at the outset, that transition to some wonderful Asian spice and mineral notes midpalate that give the wine the character of a mature Bordeaux.  The tannins are quite smooth and well integrated, for a long, and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it is fully mature and drinking marvelously right now.  This wine would pair well with a nice steak, roasts and lamb, hearty pasta dishes or hard cheeses.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a grilled steak, along with a baked potato with sour cream and scallions, and grilled asparagus and broccoli rabe.  The rich fruit in the wine is nicely balanced with the bitterness of the broccoli rabe.  Cheers!