Happy Cellar Saturday! It's the magical first Saturday of a new month where I open a bottle that's been in the making for at least a decade. Tonight I've opened a bottle that's been in my cellar for at least a decade, perhaps longer, such that I am not even sure where I bought it. The 2007 Starmont Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is from the second label of prominent Napa Valley producer Merryvale, and this wine happens to be from the stellar 2007 Napa vintage. So, let's see if this wine was worth the wait!
The wine is a deep ruby in the glass with just a hint of amber along the edges, as you might expect from this teenager. A gentle swirl reveals aromas of blackberry and prune with hints of cherry cola and mint. Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of anise, blackberry and white pepper spice that eases into some mineral notes of dusty limestone midpalate. The tannins are still vibrant, providing for a wonderfully smooth dry finish with a hint of mint a the end.
Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as at first I thought it was just a bit past its prime, but after an hour or so it really opened up into beautiful expression of vibrant, sweet fruit, earthy minerality and a lovely finish that had me wishing for another bottle at the end of the night. Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled New York strip, topped with Béarnaise and grilled garlic scapes, with wild mushroom farro and steamed broccoli. Cheers!
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