Clos Du Val Napa Valley 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, $25.49-$39.99, 92 points, is a brilliant densely ruby color with a watery clear rim.
The nose is a reticent lightly sweet red cherry and sweet cooking spice, with just a hint of earth.
With a medium to medium-plus body swirling legs down the glass, potent acids rain-down the palate with equally firm, but approachable tannin.
The flavor is a clean pomegranate, red fruit, and a hint of violets which quickly gets lost in the incredibly long black and white pepper, spicy finish.
With the slightest sense of alcohol (13.5%), this is a beautifully focused and crafted wine, but my appreciation of Clos Du Val Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon had its genesis before today.
ClosDuValNapa "The One And Only One"
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A ha, Clos du Val Cab...let's back up a bit to Zins.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who works at Clos du Val and he fixes me up with their Zin for $6 something a bottle, I buy a case at a time :) Used to be about $4.50 a pop, a couple of vintages ago, but I'm not complaining about the price increase, really!
Last time I heard of Clos du Val Zin, was when they were releasing a, if I remember rightly, 30 year old cellar-ed Zinfandel wine, and the price was pretty steep. I found it interesting that some wineries actually hold-back wine for that long a time.
DeleteIf I saw their Zin. I'd certainly grab it.
Hello Den,
DeleteI bet you there are some pretty old bottles of Wine sitting around some of those Wineries. How about in some old attics or basements? There has to be some pretty good tasting Wines out there that people have long forgotten about. I know Bro, If I come across some, I'll let you know! As far as Zin, the last time I did any of that, I was sitting in a Lotus Position! He-He-He! Oh by the way, I love your CHRIST-mass Blog; well done, and those two 'sleeping beauties' are also a couple of Dimonds in the Rough!
Ed, you have some interesting ideas I haven't thought of, but often when someone who has a known collection of wines, especially when it is cellar-ed properly, an auction is held after an evaluation. I'm sure that occasionally a treasure will be had, like books, paintings, glassware, coins, stamps, or LPs, even comics.
DeleteThat was my next question. what if a bottle of Wine was found in an attic, that has been there for let's say about 40 yrs, and being subject to whether changes(Hot Summers to cold Winters), would it still be good? I lived in apartment building that was built in the early 1900's and the son of the owner discovered a case of home made root beer in the cellar that I believe his grandfather made, and he opened one of the bottles and it tasted great! But then again that's root beer.
DeleteChances are what they are, the wine being in an attic for 40 yrs. would probably be no good as drinking wine, but I'm sure there are those anecdotal accounts, but unlike the remarkably old Champagne found at the bottom of the ocean, the heat of an attic would surely ruin a wine, and the corks.
DeleteAlways liked this wine. Haven't had it in ages. Hey, does that glass have a hollow stem? Pretty neat...
ReplyDeleteJohn, well, with two vintages behind me, I will continue to buy this wine.
DeleteThe glass doesn't have a hollow stem, but neat anyway!