Napa, California Isn't Just About Cabernet - Sangiovese Takes on Cabernet Sauvignon

As shown here, proof of a super not Tuscan wine tasting. If this was a race of sorts, the stock race car pedigree would be a Ferrari with the Andretti family's Napa Valley Sangiovese 2004, a beautifully structured, well thought out wine. I say that to describe the beautiful aged colour of deep garnet red with brick red tones. It's moderately intense nose is a clear and clean expression of sangiovese, peppery, dried sage, aged tobacco, dried raspberries all integrated with French oak in the bouquet and on the palate. The ripeness was balanced with some nice acidity and residual sugar. This was an intriguing and luxurious version of this Italian grape, elevated to an ethereal wine experience in Napa. 

I loved this wine. Tasted among friends is always a great stage to enjoy the best food and wine. I put  out a simple offering Jarlberg white and Danish blue cheese and dried salami with a whole grain  baguette was all we needed for contrasting flavours. The salami and white cheese complemented this 

wine reminiscent of a the best Chianti Reserva. 

Sangiovese is a staple grape of all Tuscan wine such as Chianti and some Super Tuscan Cab blends. But this grape and wine grew up on noble terroir, Napa Valley. The land and winemaking

 of Napa, regardless of the grape made this wine special and notable in many ways. For all intents and purposes, this wine became the lap car, the opening act at a Rock concert where the second wine was the main act. The Formula 1 car in the race was the show stopper. 

My foodist friend Brent brought over the main act to this showcase duo, a Rockstar concert of a wine tasting experience. Lakoya Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, Mount Verdeer Napa Valley sounds impressive not even out of the bottle. With an annual production of a mere 571 cases in 2004, this wine is rare. 

The real estate on which these grapes were grown and carefully tended to is worth more than some 

urban cities and certainly as noble and worthy as the best of Bordeaux growing Cabernet. 

This prestigious Napa Cab was huge. Decanted out inky black, still with purple hues as if it was just pressed juice. Beautiful long legs revealed its impressive ripeness with a 15.1 percent alcohol on the wine. BIG blackcurrant, cedar, anise seed, blackberries, ripe, complex with a beautiful

 nose of vanilla from ample time in French barrels. A hint of residual sugar and still  a very firmly tannic wine. Good acid balance and full bodied, bottles of this will improve over the next 5 to 10 years. The blue cheese and salami and bread were a must for this Formula 1 of a blockbuster Napa experience. This wine was very concentrated, structured and very well made. The  long finish makes this wine a clear winner in any circles, and a true attention getter and Rockstar of a wine. This is what I think of when I think of Napa Cab.