2014 Yao Ming Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  Let me say first that I've been working today, which is not ideal since Sunday should be for relaxing and enjoying a nice glass of wine.  Well, at least it's now time for the nice glass of wine!  Tonight I've opened a bottle of wine I bought at Costco, maybe a year or more ago, the 2014 Yao Ming Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  This was a wine that Costco was only carrying for a limited time and I think I bought one of, if not the last bottle at my local warehouse.  So, let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a deep garnet color in the glass, just a bit lighter than you might expect from a big Napa cab.  The nose is a refined combination of leather, smoke, oak and vanilla, reminiscent of a classic, old-school library. The taste is a rush of ripe fruit, cherry, blackberry and plum that wash over the palate before transitioning to some wonderful mineral notes of dusty limestone and basalt midpalate.  The tannins are well integrated, providing for a wonderfully smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's a very nice drinking Napa Cabernet, but it doesn't strike me as a standout wine.  Like most Napa Cabernets, this wine practically begs to be paired with a big steak, but it would also do well with pasta, lamb, or roasts.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a nice rare grilled Angus T-bone served on a bed of grilled leeks and some bacon roasted Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!