Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Winesday

Peter: OK, I'll admit that I knew exactly what this wine was just by looking at the red neck of the bottle. This is the best bottle of wine that I have tasted in two trips to the Napa Valley. Plain and simple - this is the easiest drinking cabernet on the market. Dark in color but smooth going down. This wine is made for food or for sitting in front of the TV on a Tuesday night watching Sons of Anarchy. Thinking the beef carpaccio and arugula salad from the Italian Barrel.

Rene: Deep, fruit filled noise but floral as well - violets. The taste is that of stewed dark fruits - blackberries, say. A soft wine in the mouth, though with velvety tannins. The words elegant and Stifler's mom comes to mind, which leads my mind to one of the dishes at Stella! Perhaps the duck five ways or the Kabayaki glazed beef tenderloin.

Joe the Wine Guy: 2006 Hewitt Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford has intense layers of dark fruit, bittersweet chocolate, black licorice, clove spice, mineral and cedar. This is one of Napa's most voluptuous cabernets. The palate is packed with black cherry, plum and blackberry character. Then malted cocoa powder tannins enhances the wine's plush, opulent texture. The elegant, fruit-imbued finish lingers with espresso, toffee, and nutmeg. Pair this with rich, robust meals, like seared beef tenderloin with shitake mushroom sauce. You can find it at Speckled T's and Royal Palm, and it retails for around $80.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

If I'm going to spend $80 on a bottle of wine I sure hope it leads to something more exciting than sitting around watching "Sons of Anarchy"

willifred said...

Agree with the guy above...I understand everyone has their personal taste, but give me $80, and I bet I could put it to better use than an American cab.

Rene said...

Just to re-explain the rules:

When we receive the bottles, we have no idea what the wine is or what the price is. Only after we have tasted it and written in our thoughts, do we learn what the wine is, where you can find it, and how much the wine sells for.

However, to both commentators, I am in your camp if it is my money. But other people like different wines than us. And that is ok.

Peter said...

Anon,

The first time that I tasted Hewitt, I was eating lunch at the Rutherford House in Napa at the end of a barrel tasting at BV. I too wish that every Hewitt experience was that enjoyable, but unfortunately I often have to settle for a wine tasting that includes an hour of SAMCRO.

Anon & Wilifred,

The last time that I was in Dorignac's, I think that I saw Hewitt for sale at around $60. Not a drastic price drop, but everyone likes saving $20. This bottle is definitely worth trying at least once, in my opinion.

As always thanks for reading.