Call me a Cab: 2007 St. Clement Cabernet Sauvignon

Time to get back in the wine-wagon but no cab-fare will be needed, time for another review of a wine that though produced in a large quantity, it's still makes my palate do the happy-dance. So much so that after I had just one, I went back for half-case. Okay folks time to head back to the comfy confines of the Napa Valley to a place called St. Clement.

If you have not heard of them before, it's time to get acquainted, as these folks are doing it right. I got acquainted with them during the 2009 Wine Blogger Conference that was held jointly in Napa and Sonoma and I wrote a review of their stunning, not to be missed 2006 St Clement Orrpas the signature wine in their line-up and rightfully so. Even though this wine is stunning, for me and most folks this wine does not represent the everyday drinker. However, their standard label 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon is quite wine-tastic and fits ever so nicely into the everyday drinker category if you can find it at the right price [see below].

The Winery: St. Clement is a small boutique winery located in the heart of Napa Valley and their picturesque tasting room is a must stop for any visit to the Napa Valley, there they offer a variety of ways you can experience their wines and or take a tour to see what makes this Napa Valley gem tick. Some of fees associated with these types of arranged tastings or excursions can be on the pricey side, so plan accordingly.

The Grapes: The grapes for this Cabernet Sauvignon came from vineyards in southern Napa, Rutherford and St. Helena and is a blend of two varietals, 94% Cabernet Sauvignon 6% Merlot. This wine was aged in 50% new French Oak [part of the reason this wine has great balance] and aged for 19 months before being bottled.

Swirly, Sniffy, Slurp: In the glass a opulent purple-ish, ruby colored core, cerise rim and some nice legs. On the nose plenty of blackberry and licorices aromas kicking up some floral notes as well. Right away this wine shows excellent depth and structure for a Napa cab at this price point. Taking in that first slurp and giving it a good swish-about the black fruits are abundant and plummy sweet berries, with a touch of black licorice and tannins are polished and deft. It has some excellent layers that could suggest, this young Cab could lay down a few years if need be, but why wait it's drinking pretty fab right now.

Food-Fab: This is a an excellent foodie type wine and will pair with a large varieties items fresh off the grill, the kind of wine that will bend to your foods will. Decanting of course is recommended or at the very least open the bottle in the morning and leave in  your hopefully cool pantry till you get home to enjoy in the evening.

What's the Score: This wine gets my drink now and drink often recommendation. Providing you can get this wine under $25, I would give it a solid score of 91 points. At the tasting room price of $36 my score would necessarily go down to a 88 points, when you factor in the QPR into the point equation.

Price and Where to Buy: I purchased mine online from a place called Gary's Wine Palace [or something like that] in New Jersey [hello no taxes]. He's selling this wine for $22 each not sure how many he may have left, but I did check with the tasting room folks who said they are down to the last 6 cases where it sells for $36. So if you want to grab some of this wine before the height of the summer BBQ season, you better get moving.

Other Voices: This is spot on my review where I let someone either confirm or conflict with my review of the wine in the spot-light, so here you go, Robert Parker.com had this to say about this wine: "A sleeper of the vintage as well as a great value is the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa. Its opaque purple color is followed by terrific aromas of blueberries, blackberries, licorice, and camphor. The wine possesses sweet tannins, a velvety, full-bodied mouthfeel, and impressive purity and length." [should evolve for 12-15+ years]. So it looks like old Bobby likes this wine as much as I do, but hey what does he know?

Full Disclosure: Ha, nothing to disclose this time as this was a bottle I laid down cold-hard cash for myself and then went out got six more. I do have plenty of other samples in the queue waiting for the review process, oh man this "Wines of Chile" tasting I particpated in yesterday, geez can't wait to tell you about some of the mind-blowing vino me and several other bloggers discovered yesterday.

That's it for today folks, I hope you will come back next time as have an excellent inexpensive Spring and Summer time sipper that will definitely knock your socks off and sells $15 bones. You've never seen a wine like this, trust me [okay well maybe a few of you]. Are you a white Bordeaux fan? If so this next review is something you don't want to miss.