Distinguishing flavors set apart Sonoma Valley cabernets
Cabernet sauvignon wines from California’s Sonoma Valley sometimes get lost in the marketing by their more famous brethren across the mountain in Napa Valley.
Yet Sonoma Valley produces some classic cabernets whose qualities exhibit the very best this grape has to offer – intense aromas, silky palates and dark fruit. One of the experts in my wine-tasting group noted that cedar aromas and/or flavors often distinguish a Sonoma cabernet.
The Sonoma Valley has several subregions, with perhaps the most notable being Alexander Valley.
My panel sampled Sonoma wines from three different vintages – all on the shelves now.
» 2006 Ferrari-Carano Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, $29.99. We discovered scents of vanilla beans, cocoa, tea leaves, coffee and red and black currants. Like a black mint tea, this wine was intense in the mouth, but still silky. A pretty eucalyptus character pervaded this wine from beginning to end. It was our favorite.
» 2005 Sebastiani Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, $32.99. The nose reminded us of firewood, roasted tomatoes, dried tomatoes and black cherries. On the tongue, the wine was opulent, rich with fruit. The Sebastiani was not nearly as tannic because of the strong fruit. This wine was the best balanced on the group. It ranked second in our tasting.
» 2005 Paradise Ridge Elevation Rockpile Vineyard Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, $37.99. We discovered aromas of black currants, black fruit, clove and chocolate cream. The palate mirrored the aroma, along with tannins and cocoa dust. This was a wine made from the grapes of a single vineyard. It ranked third in our tasting.
» 2004 Simi Landslide Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, $40. Aromas included under-ripe or green fruit, pine, firewood and eucalyptus. Green wood tastes appeared on the palate, with nice cedar undertones. My experts said this wine was true to the Sonoma tradition, down to the cedar notes on the finish.
» 2005 Kenwood Jack London Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, $39.99. The bouquet included baked red cherries, strong notes of pomegranate, vanilla and under-ripe tobacco leaves. Flavor characteristics included cedar, black tea, tobacco leaves and pomegranate, along with firm tannins. This was another classic cabernet sauvignon with all the attributes you should expect in such a wine.
» 2005 Wine Smith California Cabernet Sauvignon, $25. We found scents of black cherries, semisweet chocolate, soy sauce and green herbal notes. The palate was mellow in all its facets, with a dusty cedar character. This wine was easy to drink, but there was less there than with the others. While the winery is in Sonoma, grapes came from multiple areas in the state.
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Surfing the wine shelves:
» 2006 d’Arenberg “The Custodian’ Grenache, $19. Aromas of strawberries and other red berries plus lots of spice. Extremely well balanced and structured, this Australian offering was an elegant wine for this price.
» 2005 Innocent Bystander Shiraz Viognier, $20. Aromas of ripe plums, licorice and spice. The palate of this wine from down under was fleshier than the aroma led us to believe, with blueberry and blackberry flavors.
» Graham’s Six Grapes Reserve Port, $23. This nonvintage port resembled a young vintage port with its flavors of plums, cherries and raisins. Intense yet full of finesse.
» 2008 Peter Lehmann Layers, $15. This Australian white wine, a blend of pinot gris, muscat, gewurztraminer, chardonnay and semillon, offered scents of banana, pineapple and kiwi. In the mouth layers of melon, apricot and lemon flavors rolled across and lingered on the tongue.
