Are You A FOODIE?

It Comes From Napa

Good Juice

by JR Guerra

This month, love is in the air. With love, comes Valentine’s Day and with Valentine’s Day, comes a nice dinner (and hopefully you ladies received some diamonds!).  So what should you drink with that special someone while enjoying a fantastic meal? I’ve got just the answer for you, and yes, it comes from Napa.
The first wine is Cain Cuve NV6. Cain Vineyard & Winery is cradled in a spectacular bowl overlooking the Napa Valley from the crest of the Spring Mountain District. They dedicate all their time and efforts into three Cabernet blends, each sourced from its own unique vineyards, giving each wine its own unique signature. This particular blend is the only one that uses more Merlot; as compared to the other two wines they bottle (Concept and Five). The current vintage, the NV6, consists of 49% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. What sets this wine apart from the others is they always blend in wine from the previous year as well. In this current vintage blend, 55% comes from 2006 and 45% comes from 2005.

Now that you’re caught up on some of the technical aspects of the wine, let’s talk about how it tastes! On the nose, it is intense and fruity with tart cherry and cranberry with subtle floral notes. The Merlot gives the mouth feel a silky and fleshy texture. It tastes of tart raspberries, tangy plum and a dusty chocolate that lends to a finish of light tannin that doesn’t dry your mouth, but leaves you wanting another taste. The medium body is elegant with bright acidity that compliments the easy tannin structure. It really is a great wine that would pair well with just about any meal you can think of. I’ve had it with everything from pasta and sandwiches, to fish in heavy sauces and any meat off the barbeque (even pork). Lightly flavored fish won’t pair too well with this, but if it has a heavy, flavorful sauce then you’ll be in business.
The Cain Cuve NV6 drinks good right now (15-30 minutes in a decanter) and hold up overnight beautifully. In fact, I like to open up a bottle, pour out a half a glass, put the cork back in and enjoy it the next day. I would also suggest laying down a few bottles as well, as I believe it will open up and drink beautifully in just a few years.
The second wine comes from Terra Valentine Winery, located 2,100 feet above Napa Valley. The 2006 Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon is just singing right now. This vintage uses 85% Cabernet Sauvignon from their Wurtele Vineyard Estate, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon from their more recently planted Yverdon Vineyard Estate, 3% Merlot from Yverdon and 2% Cabernet Franc. The wine was fermented during a 31-day period with punch downs twice daily. It was aged it for 22 months in French oak barrels, 33% of which were new. What this turns into is serious Napa Cab, without the unattainable price tag.
This Cab treats your nose with bright fruit, spice, bittersweet chocolate and cedar. On the palate, you’re rewarded with black fruit and bright cola berry with notes of caramel, dried fig and sweet cherry tannins. It has a nice finish that lingers for just the right amount of time. Definitely give this Cab some time to breath, but it will also age nicely for the next 5-7 years as well. Pairing this Cab with food is easy; just make sure you pop the cork with hearty meals of meats, pastas (preferably with red sauce) or generously seasoned pork.
Wine Enthusiast is also a fan of this wine, giving it a score of 91! Terra Valentine produced over 5,000 cases of this, but it is moving quickly and sells out every year. Pick it up now while you still can!
We tasted both these amazing wines at our Wine Tasting here, at The Cellar Door, on Thursday, February 11th. If you missed out, were still pouring the Cain Cuve by the glass! If you would like to purchase multiple bottles to go, just come see me (J.R.) and ask me about them. I will sell them to you at a GREAT retail price!
Cheers and happy sipping.