Tonight’s occasion: 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (Cloud’s Nest, Mt. Veeder) by Trinchero Family Wines, Napa Valley, California
Dark opaque color. Nose is very shy out of the bottle. Once it breathes a little, you can recognize ripe plums. Sweet dark cherry caramel comes second. Out of the bottle, hints of red licorice and amber wood dot the background. These quickly dissipate as it opens up. Terroir is fairly neutral and if anything, is expressed as a faint woody leather.
Body is perfectly balanced from attack to finish. Ripe, plums, dark cherries and blueberries play nicely on the palate. This conspires with a touch of wood/oak to create a slightly silky, weighted, wet mouth feel. Dusty, fine grained tannins provide an ever present substructure. Eventually the body gives way to expose this dusty tannic underlayment. This marks the transition to finish as dry spicy tannic dust storm engulfs the palate. Black currants, caramel make sporadic appearances as spice and a dry tannic grip wrestle for control. This duel continues with no end in sight for a very long protracted finish.
This wine may not be so old after all. It has had time to integrate. As it opens up, it comes even more alive as opposed to mellowing out. At 13 years old, I feel like this is how it was meant to be enjoyed. Here’s a little secret: if you visit Trinchero, ask for the list of library wines. Explore your favorite wine and how it progresses.
Nicely done Trinchero!
Wine Snob 