2008 Groth Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Cellar Saturday!  That magical first Saturday of the month where I raid the cellar and try to find something at least a decade in the making and tonight is a treat.  This wine is not only a vintage 12 years back, it's actually been in my cellar for nearly a decade, as I bought this bottle in October 2011!  Tonight I've opened a bottle of the 2008 Groth Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a year off from the stellar 2007 vintage, but as I recall when I tasted this at the time I bought it this was a fairly hefty wine.  I've decanted this wine for a couple hours, and there was a good bit of Bordeaux-esque funk when I opened it, but it seems to have settled a bit since then, so let's check it out!

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center, with bright garnet along the edges, just as you'd expect from a big Napa Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of rich leather, ripe blackberry and plum, with just a subdued hint of funk.  The taste is remarkably smooth and well structured, with a lot of dark fruit rushing forward, blackberry, cherry and blueberry envelop the palate, before transitioning nicely to some smoky oak and just a hint of lavender midpalate.  The tannins are firm but well behaved, and the acidity is still pronounced despite the age, providing for a long, smooth and very dry finish that lingers for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's really as good as I remember it, and it's really reaching its prime.  This wine might pair with a variety of dishes, but as a big Napa Cab, this wine practically begs to be consumed with a big honkin' steak, and tonight we're in luck!  As I'm enjoying this wine with a big honkin' New York strip grilled Pittsburgh rare with sauteed onions, a big baked potato and grilled asparagus.  The fruit and acidity of this wine is perfect with red, red meat.  Cheers!