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There is always alot of talk about just how well and how long wines can age. Few wines have stood the test of time as well as Napa Valley Cabernet. I've had the chance to enjoy lots of cabs ranging from 10-25 years old. It is a great experience and lends a lot of insight into just how much a wine can change and develop in the bottle.
The challenge that the average wine lover faces is that buying wines and aging them for this long is simply not something most people do. Trying to purchase wines that have been aged by someone else is a tricky and usually expensive proposition. This equation makes it tough for most wine lovers to enjoy premium wines with siginifcant bottle age.
That's why I'm so proud to be involved in a local event on Thursday that will allow over 50 Valey wine lovers the chance to taste and compare two older vintage cabs alongside the current 2012 release. The event features wines from Clos Du Val Winery in Napa Valley. I had a chance to visit Clos Du Val in March of 2013 and the visit made me a lover of their wines for life.
Here's a look at the wines being featured at the event:
1. 2013 Clos Du Val Chardonnay, Carneros Estate $25
The wine opens with aromas of fresh apples, pineapple and pear coupled with soft vanilla and toast. The palate is met with flavors of tropical fruit, lemon curd and fresh citrus. The mouthfeel is full and integrated with vibrancy and life. 100% barrel fermented, aged 10 months in French Oak (20% new).
2. 2013 Clos Du Val Pinot Noir, Carneros Estate $28
The color is a brilliant garnet-ruby and the nose opens to aromas of bright raspberry, red cherry and currant. The palate is met with flavors of baking spices and red fruits and is complemented with a vibrant yet round texture. The tannins are softly integrated into the wine and create a complex and intiguing wine that is perfect with food or enjoyed on its own.
3. 1991 Clos Du Val Cabernet, Stag's Leap District $35
Complex and refined with red cherry, raspberry and currant fruits. The tannin / spice component has been beautifully integrated through the aging process, as hints of baking spices and white pepper corns balance the fruit. The 1991vintage was the first of back to back 90+ rated growing seasons and this wine is rated "drink now" when many wines its age are rated as "past peak".
4. 1992 Clos Du Val Cabernet, Stag's Leap District $35
Bigger and still surprisingly bold and dense with dark fruits of plum, blackberry and black cherry. The spice component is decidedly more pronounced than its older sister with black pepper and anise dancing with the delightful fruit flavors. The 1992 vintage was rated 93-95 points when the wines were released, making it one of the most respected growing seasons in a decade. The wines were noted for their age ability by critics back then and this tasting proves them right!
5. 2012 Clos Du Val, Napa Valley $35
The color is an inky purple hue and the wine has aromas of black fruits, baking spices, dark chocolate and leather. The palate is rich and complex, full of flavors of berry pie, mocha, cedar, black pepper and vanilla toast. The texture is creamy, round and full with well structured tannins that are approachable now or will cellar well for decades.
The current releases of Clos Du Val wines are available on better restaurant wine lists and at our Valley's best independent wine shops. As for the older vintages, your best bet is to look online at the numerous auction houses that sell older wines. Cheers!
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