Happy Thanksgiving! Yes, I know it was two days ago, but this is the official start to the holiday season, and in the past 48 hours we've had over a foot of snow, the Christmas lights, garland and wreaths are all up and I am enjoying my "White Christmas" preview! Of course, the holidays are better with wine, and tonight I've opened bottle of a recent wine club shipment from Woodward Canyon Winery, the 2023 Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is a perennial favorite, and I think I've reviewed just about vintage since the 2010 Vintage, so let's see how the latest is shaping up!
The wine has the classic look of a deep, brooding Cabernet, inky black at the center, ruby along the edges. A gentle swirl reveals aromas of earthy, leather, graphite and toasted oak, amid fruit notes of blackberry, cherry and plum. The first sip is a total fake out from the nose, with a rush of black fruit up front, before moving into earthy notes of dusty limestone, peat and hints of oak midpalate. The tannins are just the right amount of structure and ease to provide for a delightfully smooth finish that lingers into your next sip.
Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a classic expression of Washington Cabernet that is so consistent year after year. This wine would go perfectly with a fire in the midst of a snowstorm, but as for food, enjoy this one with a range of winter comfort foods, from braised short ribs to alder planked salmon, hearty beef stew to roast lamb shank. Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a very beefy dinner of a grilled thick ribeye, mushroom farro and steamed asparagus. Cheers!
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