Dan Odfjell’s goal has been to craft stellar wines that truly express the region’s terroir. He keeps his yields low, vintage after vintage, and makes sure that the grapes are handled with the utmost care. With 85 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon under vine, and a winemaker who is truly committed to crafting wines using sustainable agriculture and green winemaking practices, the end result is a great Cabernet Sauvignon with honest terroir and true varietal characteristics that also happens to be a tremendous value.

The wine is made from a blend of 94% Cabernet, 3% Merlot and 3% Syrah. The relatively young vines (7 to 12 years old) thrive in well drained, alluvial soil. They faired well throughout the dry, yet relatively cool summer. The grapes had plenty of time to hang on the vine and were hand-harvested in May. The wine was then aged in stainless steel and three year-old oak barrels for 18 months. It underwent a light filtration when it was bottled in January of ’07.

This Cabernet has an extraordinary ruby color with a lovely violet tint around the rim of the glass. Deep aromatics greet the nose with lively notes of ripe black fruit; plums and blueberries dominate and are followed by hints of vanilla, anise, figs and cedar. The palate is a massive expression of rich, red fruit flavors with more plum intertwined with bramble and bright, clean red berry flavors that are beautifully framed by supple tannins and a touch of zesty acidity. The wine gets deeper and more flavorful as it opens up in the bottle. Very impressive dusty terroir notes emerge seamlessly with the wine’s dark red fruit component. I enjoyed this gem with a grilled T-bone and it was a perfect match.

This wine received a 90 point rating by The Wine Advocate, although no tasting note was given.

—Donald