St. Clement Vineyards
Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
St. Helena, California2005
14.8%
$32.39 -- Twin Liquors, Austin, TX
Color: Near opaque red with purple tinge
Nose: Mexican chocolate, blackberries, thyme
Body: Full
Front: Dark cherry coffee
Middle: Tannins, blackberry
Back: Chocolate, smoky car seat leather
Burns clean?:
Cap: Cork
Who is this strange man who licks car seats? Come on--you did it. You got in that leather-coated backseat when you were five, or maybe seven years old. Mom and dad's crappy-ass fabric seats, or the vinyl benches of grandpa's AMC were nothing compared to your aunt's Camels-infused hidebound capsules. You were tasting wine, but you didn't know it, child.
Now dark cherry coffee I've never had, I admit. I'm not sure I like it, so I'm going to wait another half hour before I taste this, since that flavor compression might just mean it needs a little untightening. In the meantime, I'll contemplate my bizarro dinner of roasted red pepper soup with goat cheese with steamed squash on the side. Possibly also an avocado and tomato salad with a little lemon and pepper on 'er.
Yes: put at least an hour, maybe longer, of air on it before drinking this one. It opens into a really delicious coffee-chocolate-small berry sort of thing. It's kind of French--no fruit bomb here.
