This is a wine which blows off in opposite directions from the norm in the decanter. On first pour, Donald’s big, almost-chubby nose of glycerine and leather hits hard, wooing the faint and sealing the deal for *most* consumers. In the mouth, it is ripe and voluptuous, creating–in the shallow thinker–a perfect glow of glorious Napa cab: ripe and sweet and oaky and lovely. But wait. Then you decant it for an hour and really start looking at it, showing forebearance to the initial plushness and crowd-pleasing aspects, but delving deeper, not letting the woo of the wine sway instincts.
It grows spicier and gloriously structured, with bitter orange-rind and rhubarb turning the glow to pitch and wonderful depth. Acid shrieks from corners formerly coated with butter, peeling off sharp boughs of foothill flora while rocky depths grind at what you initially cast as smooooooth wonder. It’s grimy while decadent, paying a tax of easy-come love with depths of harsh complexity. It gets grainier and sharper with each breath of air, and a hour in, is a thin, wondrous being long-shedding its early chub for biting, tingly bits reminiscent of Corison, Togni and Dunn: labels those of us who seriously stand up and cheer for Napa Cab wash with ominous critical glare. This thing can’t be the now-normal 14-9, 15-5 situation. I’m gonna go 13-9 and while tannin in the finish starts out soft, there is perfect melding of fruit to massage it for the long run as it finally grips everything with grating aplomb. If you can find this wine, buy as much as you can afford. This is 30-year stuff.
2019 SECRET DOOR Cabernet Sauvignon Sage Ridge Vyd Napa Valley 14.0
Stephen McConnell 