OK, so it’s not the weekend just yet, but we had to take this opportunity to raise a broad-bowled glass in honor of National Cabernet Day, a fine excuse to buy a bottle of this noble, full-bodied red. Although, credit must be given where it’s due; it was Robust Wine Bar owner Stanley Browne who reminded me that this holiday is September 1. Were it not for him, I might be drinking something white right now instead of perhaps the most widely recognized red variety on the planet. Browne thus earned himself first crack at recommending a cab – a domestic, mind you, considering we Americans made this holiday up all by ourselves.
Browne’s picks: 2006 Star Lane and 2006 Pepper Bridge. The former is out of California’s Santa Ynez Valley and could be called the hometown choice since St. Louisans Jim Dierberg – brother to Bob Dierberg of local supermarket fame – and his wife, Mary, own the vineyard. The latter vino is an example of the success with cabernet sauvignons from the Walla Walla Valley region in Washington State. Both wines are available by the bottle at Robust in Webster Groves. (Star Lane sells for $37 retail, $76 tableside; Pepper Bridge is $45 retail, $86 tableside.)
I recently had the opportunity to taste the Mercer Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 from Washington State. Winemaker David Forsyth explained that the wine was made using fruit from warmer sites in Columbia Valley and from a warmer harvest where “the variety could take advantage of its late-ripening behavior, allowing it to develop the flavors, color and mature tannins in the cool days of October.” I tasted dark cherry, berry and a bit of spice, and my sniffer picked up oak spice and vanilla. Before I knew it, the glass was empty (and I wanted another one). Fortunately, the 2008 vintage hits our market in early October; in the meantime, you can experience the equally rich mouth feel, good structure and long finish of the 2007 vintage at Lorenzo’s Trattoria on The Hill, where it is specially priced through Sunday, September 11, at $40 a bottle (normally $56) or $10 a glass.
A third Washington State selection comes from Jeff Bender of St. Louis Wine Market and Tasting Room in Chesterfield. Bender praised the 2008 cabernet sauvignon from Seven Hills, also of Walla Walla Valley, because “it’s really big, it’s complex and it’s hard to get.” Moreover, at $30 retail (same price if enjoyed in the tasting room), the price is right. “It drinks like it’s a $75 bottle of wine. For the money, you can’t get a better one,” summed Bender.
Cheers to whomever conceived of this day and to all of the U.S. wineries whose cabernet sauvignons keep us drinkers happy. Now, excuse me, I have to go find my corkscrew.
This article appears in Sep 1-30, 2011.