Sequoia Grove Cabernet 2005

I've been hitting two grapes (hate to say types) lately, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. My friend Sarah and I were at temple on Tuesday night per our habit. For that rendezvous I selected what I hoped would be a fine wine, Sequoia Grove 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. When Nick poured a glass I enjoyed the lovely deep, dark color and immediately my imagination began to put suggestions of what to expect. On first pass under the nose I was, well, disappointed. There was a faint hint of dark fruit and what seemed like a dusting of cocoa, but nothing like what I was prepared for. And the mouth was dry, like dust on a windy day. So slightly crestfallen I put the glass down and engaged in conversation for about 15 minutes. Oh, what a difference that 15 minutes made. I had truly fallen into a rookie mistake and not allowed this great little wine to breathe properly. My bad, because this wine really, really wakes up. I got luscious blackberry, cherry, cocoa, hints of cassis and cedar all rolled up into one olfactory experience. This wine is full bodied, very rich with fruit and supple tannins and just the right amount of acidity making it all come together with a lovely, long finish.

In this case patience really was a virtue!

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 22