2005 A. Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, California, Sonoma, Dry Creek Valley, Wine Review

A. Rafanelli has built up a loyal following of fans and supporters for the Zins and Cabs (and other wines) and with good reason. At age 15,. this wine is in a prime spot. Deep ruby/purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is deep with cassis, leather, spice, slight herbal note and tobacco. Full bodied. Bright cassis fruit over spice and tobacco. Complex and deep. Nice balance. This is showing some maturity but should easily go another ten to twelve years at this level. It went great with eggplant parmigiana and would work just as well with a roast.

Grade:

Score:

Vintage:

2005

Current Price:

$95.00USD

Top 50 California Cabernet Sauvignons to Try Before You Quit Drinking (a non-dump bucket list if you will!)

In putting together a list of the top California Cabernets, there is sure to be some disagreement. I tried to include those wines that have a track record, the wineries still making great wines, those that seemed to have the commitment for the future and some personal favorites. I am sure I left some out. 1. Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select – It’s always hard to name the number one wine. But this has a track record that’s very long. Even in less than stellar vintages, it is an outstanding wine. They just don’t seem to make a dud. My only complaint is the price at over $200 a bottle. But, in comparison to other Napa Cabs or elsewhere in the world, this is a fair price.

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Winemaker David Vergari Talks Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and....Armed Guards?

Sometimes there are people you encounter in life who, the minute you meet them, you think "This guy has a story to tell and I bet he tells it well." David Vergari is that guy. A veteran winemaker, David launched his own eponymous label, Vergari Wines , in 2003. He recently sat down with IntoWine to share with us his evolution as a winemaker and, most interestingly, the stories "behind the wine". You founded the Vergari Wine Company in 2003. What inspired you to strike out on your own? It happened in two ways: gradually, then quite suddenly.

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2006 A. Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, California, Sonoma, Dry Creek Valley, Wine Review

Vintage:

2006

Score:

Grade:

Purple in color, ruby at the rim, mostly clear and bright. The nose is very nice with black cherries, cassis, slight spice and slight black olives. Medium to full bodied. Light tannins. On the palate, this is still fresh and vibrant. Tasty. Some depth and complexity as it unwinds in the glass. Great balance. Good finish. Drinking well now, it should go another five to seven years with no trouble. Nice on its own, but better with food. It worked well with eggplant parmigiana.

Heidi Peterson Barrett: Napa's Wine Diva on Winemaking, La Sirena, and the Legacy of Screaming Eagle

Heidi Peterson Barrett As arguably the most celebrated, respected, envied, and in-demand winemaker in America today, Heidi Peterson Barrett is one of only a handful of winemakers who can legitimately lay claim to "superstar" status. Her wines at both Dalle Valle and Screaming Eagle resulted in multiple 100 point scores from Robert Parker (Parker himself dubbed her the "First Lady of Wine") and helped redefine both the meaning and value of "cult" wines. She rocked the wine world at the 2000 Napa Valley Wine Auction as a 6-liter bottle of her 1992 Screaming Eagle sold for $500,000, in the process setting a world record for the highest price ever paid for a single bottle of wine (a vertical offering went for $650,000 at the 2001 Napa Valley Wine Auction). Heidi Peterson Barrett is currently winemaker for Amuse Bouche, Paradigm, Revana, Barbour, Lamborn, Fantesca, as well as her own label La Sirena . I recently had the pleasure of catching up with Heidi to talk about winemaking, her own La Sirena label, and the legacy of Screaming Eagle.

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2004 A. Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, California, Sonoma, Dry Creek Valley, Wine Review

Vintage:

2004

Score:

Grade:

A-

Purple in color. The nose is very nice with cassis, a bit of barnyard, slight tobacco and dust. On the palate, this seems to be at peak. Plenty of fresh cassis fruit but some tertiary development is showing as layers of damp earth, and slight decayed vegetation (in a good way). Tannins are just about resolved. It did seem to improve slightly in a decanter as it opened up and blew off a bit of bottle stink. Nice finish. Worked well with a nice plate of pasta. It won't get better from here, and these should probably be drunk in the next five to ten years depending on how you like you

2005 A. Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, California, Sonoma, Dry Creek Valley, Wine Review

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2006 A. Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, California, Sonoma, Dry Creek Valley, Wine Review

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2004 A. Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, California, Sonoma, Dry Creek Valley, Wine Review