This is about as perfect of a wine as one could hope for… considering. Bricking a bit, but neither an explosion of concentrated fruit or a pillar of tertiary. It’s kinda light and thin, actually–and I know shallow minds who read will immediately be turned off. But I mean it in the best possibly way. And those who read *light and thin* into an aged Cabernet review as a negative need to go away and unfollow me and drink your Paso and be sad. It’s actually a huge compliment. Balanced, light and poised, not exactly delicate, but not a powerful wine. Fruit is fading behind the acid, and leathery, licorice, earthy bands of polished delicacy express from tiny breasts of firm alertness.
I’ve said for decades–and to much derision from #winebro–that I will take a wine stored long periods in a supermarket surrounded by thousands of bottles under the watch of locked corporate thermostat edicts over MANY wine-shops and almost all home storage. This is a prime example. Found this behind more modern vintages on a shelf (FIFO anyone??? FIFO???) and couldn’t resist. I love 2009, and am going to have to look up ’08 because I honestly don’t remember, but coming off 07 I can’t believe it stellar [BRB]…. OK, I’m back 96WS 90WE 94eRP so what the hell nobody cares go away.
The point is: I love this winery, I think they do an amazing job and have for-EVAR, and this wine is set and point for that argument. Just phenomenal. Bitter and sweet and clamoring for gravitas in a most light-hearted manor while managing to stuff receptors with snobby appeal and a you-can’t-sit-with-us attitude I would KILL to bring to ag-ed bottle-share for–if nothing more–the teeth-wiping crinkles of cherry powder and pillowy tannin gracing the fairly firm thighs of this beauty and the faces of those gathered. This wine is literally why we love wine. In one, stupid, cheap, bottle.
2008 DRY CREEK VINEYARD Cabernet Sauvignon DCV Sonoma 14.5
Stephen McConnell 