wine book club

Casa Nuestra Winery & Vineyards

Small, family-owned, in a quiet, bucolic setting, a visit to Casa Nuestra on the Silverado Trail in St. Helena (CA) is like taking a step back through time. And the dedication of owners Gene and Cody Kirkham to producing wine from “noble though unfashionable varieties” in the Cabernet Sauvignon rich valley is also considered pretty old-fashioned. The Kirkhams started small and plan to remain that way, producing between 1500 and 2000 cases of wine each year. Even that limited quantity allows winemaker, Shay Boswell an opportunity to make seven tantalizing wines, and two, including the winery’s first Merlot and its oft-rewarded Meritage are produced at a high enough level to allow for some regional distribution. For the rest, wine-lovers will have to travel to the winery.
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Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

This beautiful, smooth 100% Napa Cabernet Sauvignon offers enticing aromas of black cherry and cassis, followed by full, ripe fruit flavors and a hint of spiced oak.

Barrel aged sixteen months in American oak, the soft tannins help create a supple texture that fills the mouth with layers of flavor and a long, lingering finish.

Enjoy this wine with grilled meats, or hearty pasta dishes.
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1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

VINTAGE: 1999

APPELLATION: Napa Valley

COMPOSITION: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc.

WINEMAKING: Punch cap fermented in one ton bins. Each lot was separately aged in French oak barrels for twenty-six months. The wines were racked only once at blending, just prior to bottling. The wine is unfined.
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Roast Chicken

• 3 1/2 -4 lb. roaster chicken
• Fresh herbs (whatever you have in the garden/store/neighborhood)
• 1 lemon, quartered
• Garlic cloves, smashed and unpeeled
• 1 small onion, quartered
• Dried thyme
• Salt and pepper

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Sebastiani Sonoma Cask

Sebastiani
1997 “Sonoma Cask”
Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon

The price-value ratio is just too much to overlook. It screams, “Buy me, and try me”.

“Come on now, your telling me this is a $15 Cab from Sonoma?” That’s what you will be saying after you taste it. Then I expect to hear, “Thanks Greg, we appreciate the tip”. Just show me a little love for my efforts people.
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Wine Penfolds Cabernet

Penfolds
1998 “Bin 389”
Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz

With the first sip, the 389 is in your face with a blast of intensity.

Bin 389 is one of the Bin numbers to remember. There are lots of Bin numbers used by Australian wineries and Penfolds uses about eight of them on a line of wine encompassing 30 different bottlings. But the infamous Bin 389 is one to remember. It is Penfolds terrific Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz blend (58% Cab–42% Shiraz).
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Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

Appellation:California, Sonoma

Style: Port

Price: $19

WOW Rating:91

This is a winery that has earned fame for the production of Cabernet. Their nearby neighbor is Silver Oak, the impossible to find and expensive Cabernet Sauvignon. The good news is that due to increased production, the Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon is very much an equal that is much easier to find.
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Terra Blanca

1998 “Red Mountain”
Washington State
Cabernet Sauvignon

It has a following already and I thought I’d fill you all in so you can get with the program sooner than later.

Damn right! That’s my enthusiastic and matter of factly punctuated response to all questions concerning this wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon? Damn right, and it’s loaded with potent juicy, thick layers of dark berry flavors that are surrounded by mild tannins and a thick coating finish with awesome texture.
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Barnard Griffin

2000 Columbia Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon
After tasting this wine and knowing that it sells for only $17 a bottle I immediately had the following scenario play through my mind, and I call it “If I worked at the Barnard Griffin tasting room”.
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2000 Seven Devils Red

Hells Canyon
2000 “Seven Devils Red” Table Wine
Profoundly juicy concentrated fruit showing lots of deep blackberry and loganberry flavors, with medium tannins and a chewy, robust thickness that proves this blend is serious.

Dark purple with nice traces of tobacco and a leathery grip that balances out the fruit and ads some complexity into a really great blend. A lighter cherry brightness starts to creep in while I let this wine sit in my glass for a good 15 minutes, and a gentle black olive taste starts to get all over the roof of my mouth.
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