2005 Eeden Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Cellar Saturday!  That wonderful first Saturday of the month where I dig deep into the cellar for something at least a decade in the making to enjoy.  Tonight I've opened a bottle that I picked up a couple of months ago from Wines Till Sold Out, that intrigued me, the 2005 Eeden Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  Eeden was founded in 2002 in St. Helena, in the Spring Mountain District of Napa Valley, on property that was originally owned by Berenger Family as far back as the 1930s.  The family has since replanted the vineyard with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petite Sirah, for their limited production wines.  So let's see how this one tastes!

I'll preface this by noting that I have decanted the wine for a couple hours before tasting.  The wine is a deep, inky black at the center with bright ruby along the edges, just as you'd expect from a Napa Cabernet.  The wine is exuding some wonderful Bordeaux-esque aromas, leather, blackberry, olive and a good bit of funk making this one exciting to try.  The taste is remarkably fruit forward, with a rush of cherry and blueberry at the front which gradually gives way to some wonderful mineral notes of dusty limestone and peat midpalate, before a reprise of cherry and white pepper spice at the finish.  The tannins are at once supple and structured, providing for a wonderfully velvety smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a very old-world style Cabernet, which is very unusual for Napa Valley.  This wine would pair with a variety of dishes, similar to a nice St. Emilion, it would pair well with lamb, steaks and chops, pasta or even summer barbecue.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime ribcap with grilled garlic scapes, some bacon roasted Brussels sprouts and a big baked potato.  Cheers!