2018 Titan Octave Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Wine Wednesday!  I finished work early today and had a chance to play with a couple of new toys, my new Stihl backpack leaf blower and a set of radio equipped hearing protection, so I could clear leave while listening to Christmas music on the radio.  Two hours later and I can see the end of the 2021 leaf harvest in sight!  Now, ahead of the overeating that will occur tomorrow, I've decided to make a modest dinner and enjoy a bottle of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2018 Titan Octave Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a single-vineyard Cabernet from Rutherford area of the Napa Valley AVA.  This is a limited production wine (144 cases) that I found for a terrific price at Wines Till Sold Out, so let's see how this practically newborn wine is shaping up!

The wine is an inky indigo at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, just as you might expect from a nice Rutherford Cabernet.  A swirl of the glass releases aromas of ripe black fruit, blackberry, cherry and currant with some subtle floral undertones that transition easily to aromas of fig and candied plum.  A sip reveals flavors of leather, cedar and rich black currant and raspberry intermingled with Rutherford dust that presents as a combination of spice box, cinnamon and cedar.  The tannins are vibrant and well structured, providing for a lingering dry finish that will have you reaching for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a pleasant drinking Napa Cabernet that presents an interesting pairing conundrum given it's evolving flavor profile.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty fall dishes, from grilled steaks and chops, to meaty lasagna or osso buco.  Speaking of veal, tonight I've taken a different route and am enjoying this wine with some Madras curry spiced veal chops along with some oven roasted baby carrots, beets and Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2008 Frog's Leap Napa Valley Merlot

Happy Cellar Saturday!  That magical first Saturday of a new month when I choose to raid the cellar for something interesting to open that's at least a decade in the making.  On this Cellar Saturday, I am pretty well spent after an afternoon of yard work, leaf vacuuming, then mowing then the winter fertilizer, boy I can use a good glass of wine!  Lucky for me I opened up a bottle of 2008 Frog's Leap Napa Valley Merlot from the Rutherford AVA in Napa.  So let's see what this wine has been up to for the past 11 years!

The wine is a lovely ruby color in the glass, with great clarity, a bit lighter than you might expect for a Merlot.  The wine has an incredible nose, exhibiting ripe plum, fig, leather and smoke, that just make you feel like you're about to sip some wine in a vintage library.  The taste is lush, as your palate is envloped in soft tannins that feel like a warm blanket on a chilly day.  The rush of blackberry, cocoa powder and cassis dance around your tongue as you enjoy a cascade of ripe fruit leading to a long, smooth and voluptuous dry finish that is just the right length.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just developed exceptionally well over the past decade, leading me to believe it may be just about peaking.  This wine would be perfect with a range of dishes, from barbecue to steak to pasta, just about anything that would make a nice autumnal dinner.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a grilled bacon wrapped sirloin filet, grilles asparagus and some pesto pasta.  Cheers!

2013 Long Meadow Ranch Rutherford Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Friday!  And Happy April Fools Day!  Today a bunch of work friends and I are getting together to enjoy a Foolish Friday, where we can enjoy a variety of cheeses and a viewing of Office Space, so what could be more enjoyable?  In addition to some other wines, I've opened a magnum of 2013 Long Meadow Ranch Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon, from a super Napa Valley vintage.  So let's see how this one stacks up!

The wine is a lovely deep ruby color in the glass.  The nose presents aromas of blackberry, leather and black pepper spice.  The taste is perfect Napa Cabernet, with a rush of ripe black fruit up front that transitions effortlessly to some notes of cherry cola and spice midpalate.  The tannins are nicely structured to provide a lovely foundation for the long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 with room to improve with a little time in the cellar.  Tonight we are enjoying this wine with a variety of cheeses, including some English Stilton, Camembert, Parmesano, pepperoncino Asiago and Kerrygold reserve Irish cheddar, along with a variety of olives, rustic Italian bread, truffle butter, and charcuterie, but it would also be great with a classic grilled steak!  Cheers!

2012 Robert Storey Cellars Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's Friday night after a busy week of travel to the east coast so I need to relax!  And what better way to relax than with a nice bottle of Napa Cabernet?  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2012 Robert Storey Cellars Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from the Rutherford AVA in Napa Valley that I recently purchased.

The color on this wine is deep brooding purple, so typical of a nice Napa Cabernet.  The nose is a lovely combination of ripe black fruit with somewhat of a jammy characteristic along with some leather, oak and cocoa powder.  The taste is nice, with some rich black fruit up front, black cherry, plum and black currant that transitions effortlessly to some wonderful mineral notes midpalate - part of the characteristic "Rutherford dust."  The finish is quite nice, with rather young yet plump tannins providing the foundation for a wonderful long, very dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it could do with a bit of cellaring, but it's a wonderful example of a Rutherford Cabernet at a terrific value - I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out for just $20!  Tonight I am enjoying this with a lovely autumn dinner of butternut squash ravioli with a creamy alfredo prima vera (what's better than lightly steamed vegetables and cream with pasta?) but it would also pair well with just about any red meat dish, but honestly I didn't feel like cooking tonight!