Tasting Notes

Our mission is to provide unbiased opinions of the wine being offered. These notes come from up to 10 guests who tasted this wine in a blind tasting format (wine is concealed so their identity is unknown). Why this format? Tasting blind completely throws out any hype associated with a certain winery, style, price point, etc; it forces the taster to accept what is in the glass without any predetermined notions. Our guests utilize Robert Parker's Glossary of Wine Terms for their comments for consistency purposes. In addition, we utilize the wine aroma wheel to enhance ones ability to describe the complexity of wine flavor. Notes are posted on this wine during the tasting to ensure they accurately reflect the impressions.

Selected Wine Tasting Notes

Technical Data

Wine Technical Data
Blend	100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appelation	100% Stagecoach Vineyard, Napa Valley
Harvest Dates	October 10th, 2005
Sugar at Harvest	25.7 degrees Brix
Fermentation	9 days with max temp of 92 degrees; 3 punchdowns/day
Aging / Cooperage	22 months in French oak, 33% new
Alcohol	14.7% by volume
Acidity	TA = 6.3 g/L

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

Deep color with red-purplish hue. The nose is exhibiting a lovely dark fruit characteristic integrated with the nutty and toasty notes of the oak barrel; the ripeness of the fruit shows well in the nose. As the nose indicated, the palate is well structured and showing the ripeness that is noticed in the nose. The midpalate is beautifully integrated and balanced between the fruit, acidity and oak influence. This balance is a solid bridge to the lengthy finish.

Recipe: Slow-Braised Short Ribs With Garlic-Cabernet Reduction

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 beef short ribs, about 8 ounces each
• 1 tablespoon corn or vegetable oil
• 1 cup flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cups yellow onion, diced into "-inch pieces
• 1 cups carrots, diced into "-inch pieces
• 24 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 cups cabernet (or other red wine)
• 8 cups veal and/or beef stock
• 4 small bay leaves
• Lemon juice to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon butter (optional)

PREPARATION/COOKING:
Preheat oven to 325.

Season beef ribs well on both sides with salt and pepper. Season flour with salt and pepper. Dredge ribs on all sides in seasoned flour, making sure to shake off excess flour before searing.

In a large, thick-bottomed pan, sear the ribs in oil until they are dark-golden brown all over. If meat seems more grey than brown in color, turn up heat. Once browned, remove ribs from pan.

Add onions, carrots, and garlic to pan and saut for 5 minutes, until vegetables have softened slightly.

Add the red wine. Bring to a boil and cook until wine has reduced by two-thirds. Add the stock and bay leaves and bring to a boil again.

Return ribs to pan. Immediately remove from heat and cover very tightly with aluminum foil. Place pan in oven and cook for 3 to 3 hours, until meat falls easily off the bone.

Take pan out of oven. Transfer ribs to a plate or sheet pan and cover with foil.

Pass sauce through a fine-meshed strainer, pressing firmly to extract as much flavor as possible. Skim any excess oil off the top of the sauce.

Place a heavy saucepan over high heat and allow the pan to become very hot. Slowly ladle sauce into it, watching it simmer until large bubbles form. Continue to add sauce ladle by ladle until all has reduced and sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon.

Season with additional salt and pepper and add a few drops of lemon juice to taste. If desired, add a pat of butter to finish sauce.

Serve with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

Serves 8