Best Cabernet Value of the Year!
December 07, 2006
Circle the
wagons! This is a best kept secret......for
now!
2004 OBSIDIAN RIDGE CABERNET SAUVIGNON -
Red Hills, Lake County
....is easily the best Cabernet Sauvignon
value of the year!
If you are fortunate to find a few bottles
elsewhere, expect to pay about $26 (still an absolute
bargain!).
At $50 to $60 a bottle, this wine would not
disappoint.
If the fruit was from Napa Valley, the price could easily be $75 a bottle.
In the late 1990s, vineyard land in the Red
Hills was a steal to purchase and develop compared to the higher rent "neighborhoods"
in Napa and Sonoma. Until the wines from the Red
Hills become better known, producers will be more competitve by
passing along
the benefits of lower
production costs in the form of value savings to the consumer. This is not a ploy or bs,
just good economics!
For the consumer in the know, there is "gold" in those Red
Hills!
I understand there are about 150 cases remaining. If
you are a Cabernet Sauvignon fiend or just a casual imbiber, this is a
MUST PURCHASE!
Do yourself a huge holiday favor and.......
ORDER NOW AT JUST $23.95 A BOTTLE!
or
ORDER SIX BOTTLES AT $21.95 A BOTTLE!!
or
ORDER 12+ BOTTLES AT $19.50 A BOTTLE!!!
Available to sample at
the tasting bar this Friday and Saturday. I
urge you to ORDER NOW by replying directly to
this e-mail to reserve.
You have everything to
gain, and nothing to lose!
Background:
Obsidian Ridge Vineyard was
planted in 1999 on the site of an abandoned walnut orchard at an
elevation of 2,600 feet, along the Mayacamas range north of Napa Valley.
In fact, this vineyard lies within
one of the newest American Viticultural Areas (AVA); named Red Hills
Lake County for its distinctive volcanic soils, and situated only 3 miles
from the Sonoma and Napa county lines. Over 90% of the soils in Red Hills are of volcanic origin from
neighboring Mount Konocti, producing shallow, well-drained, strikingly red
colored slopes that are rich in black obsidian and gravel
content. Obsidian Ridge
Vineyard gets its name from the black volcanic glass strewn
on the surface and shot through the subterrain. Meager
fertility adds stress to produce lower grape yields. The
higher elevation's unique diurnal temperature patterns (day time highs
and lows can range up to 50 degrees) help produce and protect the
grape's natural acidity, and slow the ripening process to develop greater
flavor intensity. Many of Napa Valley's finest vineyard sources have been
investing heavily in this sub-appellation of the larger Clear Lake AVA;
Beringer, the Beckstoffers and Cakebreads to name drop a few.
Rosenblum has contracted with the Snows Lake Vineyards for one of its new
standout Zinfandels I sold earlier in the year. But, make no mistake, this
is Cabernet Sauvignon country! And the proof is in this bottle of 100%
Cabernet Sauvignon produced by Obsidian Ridge's winemaker Michael Terrien,
who has had previous stints at Acacia and
Hanzell.
My Tasting
Notes:
This may be stretching things a little, call
me crazy, but this Cabernet Sauvignon reminds me of a less
concentrated, less structured, diminutive Chateau Latour. The black
currant and cassis-like fruit aromas and palate impressions are ripe
and mature. These fruits meld with cedar and mineral
components to add a seemingly
Pauillac-like complexity. Whiffs of vanillin and turkish pipe
tobacco are derived from 50% new Budapesti Kadar barrels (coopered to
specification and aged 12 months in very fine, tightly grained
Hungarian oak). Tannins
are present, but not abrasive, and provide underlying support for
rich beef dishes like braised oxtail or short ribs. The finish continues to fulfill with nary a trace of heat from the
declared 15% alcohol content. I might add that the overall bottle package
is impressive and handsome. > http://www.thewineconsultant.com/wine/960
Eric Stumpf
The Wine Consultant
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