“Rare” Napa Cab – Naked at Costco

Ya know, we choose subject lines that we hope will entice you to open these emails.  Duh! This one has a trifecta in our opinion: Rare + Napa Cab + Naked at Costco.  That’s hard to top, people!  Let’s unpack that, shall we?

We put rare in quotation marks because the word – in tandem with Napa Valley – usually means you need to be on the phone with your credit card issuer asking for a credit line increase. You can acquire this gem for less than my two glasses of mediocre wine cost at dinner last night.

That’s right, there is NO discernible oak influence in this bottling.  Radical.  In a nod to history, the Cooper’s Reed Cabernet Sauvignon is aged uniquely in reclaimed 60 year old, 20,000 liter neutral oak casks. To put that into perspective, the 60 gallon casks (or barriques) that you commonly see in wineries hold a mere 225 liters. As we have stated here many a time, a lot of the flavors we like so much in expensive Napa Cabs come from new oak barrels.  In this case, you get to taste the designer fruit that goes into this wine. It’s a delight.

The grapes that go into this wine are the beneficiaries of biodynamic farming techniques and are 100% organically farmed in the Napa Valley, being sourced from pristine valley floor vineyards.  You can taste the freshness when it hits the palate. This pure expression of Cabernet Sauvignon evolves with each sip and gracefully unfolds on the palate. A slightly reserved beginning leads to an exuberant end. This wine allows the distinction of the grape to shine unabashedly and having just one glass will require some serious restraint.

Tasting Notes:

In the glass, the wine is an opaque deep plum color with a clear rim, portending good things. Black cherry, vanilla and notes of freshly tilled soil on the nose. Beautiful fruit notes (more cherry and blackberry) along with some chocolate mint in the mouth. Nice long finish with firm but integrated tannins.  Would pair well with lean meats and even roasted turkey.  But this wine is special, I would simply enjoy it by itself.  ABV = 14%