Joseph Carr Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
I enjoy reading Eric Asimov’s weekly wine column in the NY Times. I think his writing is quite good, and the subjects that he chooses are generally of interest to me. I especially like that he fluidly moves between endorsing traditional methods of wine-making and acknowledging the benefits brought about by newer methods. While clearly favoring more classic styles of wine, he also has a just as clear appreciation of newer styled great wines.
This past summer he wrote an article about “old-school cabernets” that really caught my attention. Cabernet sauvignon’s from California (and most anywhere else, to be honest) are wines that I’ve generally ignored throughout my wine travails. Too trendy. Not interesting enough. Too plain. Etc. I’ve always just found the notion of drinking or pursuing them to be uninspiring. What got me excited about his article was his depiction of an older style of cabernet sauvignon that wasn’t a big, rich, fruit-bomb of a wine. Instead, he described wines that sought a balance between the inherent richness of cabernet sauvignon (in particular grown in California) and the herbal flavors and acidity that it is also capable of imparting to a wine. These were cabernet sauvignons that I’d never heard of, and was interested in trying.
Of course, his article looked at wines produced in Napa Valley, which means that they all came with a significant price tag. Most were $40 on up. One stood out as being a potentially great value – the Joseph Carr 2005, at only $20. The one on the list that really got me excited was the Frog’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon, but that came in at almost $50, too rich for my blood. And truly, most of my excitement came from having visited that winery a couple of years ago and having been given a great tour.
So anyhow, I was intrigued, but still not pushed to actually go out and try one of these wines. But last night we opened a bottle of Peju Province Winery 2003 Napa Valley Zinfandel which was a distinct departure from the kinds of wine that we typically drink. This was a plush, rich wine with significant depth, enhanced by lots of oak. It was very enjoyable to drink, and opened my eyes to the possible pleasures of richer wines. So when I ran across a bottle of the Joseph Carr today on sale for only $15, I couldn’t resist.
Joseph Carr is actually a negociant, whose wines are made at the Larson Family Vineyards in Carneros. They make five wines for him there, all the typical California varietlas (merlot, chardonnay, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, and cabernet sauvignon). They’ve gotten some good reviews as accessible, good value wines that pair well with food.
So how does this wine stack up to Eric Asimov’s article? It is definitely not a fruit-bomb, and is indeed a nicely balanced wine that is easy to drink, with and without food. The color is deep velvet purple, slightly lightening at the edges. The nose is rich with jam, blackberries, and ripe strawberries. It took a while for the palate to open up, but after it did so it gave hints of herbs and smoke alongside plum, currant, and dark cherries. The tannins are noticeable and slightly drying, but do not detract too much from the overall impression. The finish is mildly astringent and quite tart, with the blackberries returning from the nose, accompanied by tart raspberries.
This is a nice wine. I don’t think that I’ll run back to buy any more bottles, although it would be a good wine to pull out for a winter meal with guests, or even for when you’d want a comforting glass of red on a cold winter evening. I remain intrigued at the flavor profile that this cabernet sauvignon brought to the table, and am interested in someday trying some of the other wines that Eric Asimov listed in his review. But, given their price tags, this may be a day well down the road. For now, I’ll have to turn my attention back to sampling some of the more price-accessible wine themes running through my head.
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