Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Vineland Estates 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon - $24.95

Diving into the cellar for this week’s Weekly Wine Note we come up with a bottle of Vineland Estates 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine’s last retail price that I am aware of was $24.95, but I would not be surprised if it’s stock has gone up due to the impressive way the wine is developing. Now 4 years removed from the vine the wine is shaping up beautifully, but you’ll need to decant this one prior to serving, or open it up an hour or so before. I poured it into a Bordeaux-style Spiegelau glass and aerated it like crazy – because this is still a big, bold, brawny wine. Lots of dark fruit and spiciness on the nose, with a heavily tannic/oaky smell … in fact, it hurt my nassle passages to sniff if for too long. The taste is really starting to take shape, with plenty of influence from the wood it was aged in. Look for lots of spices, including cinnamon and pepper, along with hints of vanilla lurking in the shadows. This wine remains one of my cellar candidates for the next 5 to 7 years … so if you’ve got some, hold it. Available at the winery only, if at all.

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