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Mission Codename: Cass a giant shadow

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Revisit our friends at Cass to retrieve a library vintage Cabernet Sauvignon

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Cass Winery

Wine Subject: 2004 Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemakers: Dan Kleck & Lood Kotze

Backgrounder:

Paso Robles, in California’s Southern Central Coast region (San Luis Obisbo County) is one of California’s oldest and also newest wine growing regions. The first vines were planted in the late 1700s by the Spanish missionaries. Paso’s unique climate, perhaps influences its vine more than any other area in California. The hot, dry weather that is only minimally effected by coastal fog and wine results in grapes that are more concentrated in flavor and intensity. This climate makes Paso uniquely suited to grow the big red varietals including Zinfandel, Syrah and as in this wine, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Today’s selection is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Cabernet Franc with only 400 cases produced.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep and intense purple and almost black with a dense inky heart that barely reflects its garnet hues. Along the edges, the color remains deep garnet and when swirled, slow fat legs hang for several seconds before slowly descending to the wine below.

Smell – Bold and redolent with aromas of black cherry, raspberry and other ripe black and red fruit. Notes of sweet oak and tobacco layer over herbal, licorice and fennel hints.

Feel – Smooth and rich, this full bodied wine coats the palate with its finely textured tannins and minerality creating a chewy character. Balanced acidity and a touch of spice grasps onto the tongue and keeps the fruit lingering long into the finish.

Taste – Rich and vibrant, this wine’s juicy and jammy black and red fruit (red and black cherry) lead the way as this wine’s expansive flavors explode on the palate. Subtle and complex notes of tobacco, earth and sweet oak are well integrated with spicy black pepper and herbal notes.

Finish – Extremely long with this wine’s vivid fruit lingering on the palate and supported by its firm but finely textured tannins, spice, and minerality. A hint of wild raspberry lingers and invites another sip of this bold and juicy wine.

Conclusion – The 2004 Cass Winery Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon is bold and juicy, classic intense fruit-forward, in a way that defines the wines from Paso Robles. This wine is one that is enjoyed in big gulps and is a perfect crowd pleaser. A bright but balanced texture makes this wine great with food and we paired it with grilled beef fajitas.

Mission Report:

Agent Red was able to sit down with Cass Winery’s winemaker, Lood Kotze, for a short interview when we last featured a great Cass wine. Here is a transcript of that conversation:

AGENT RED: Hi Lood!

LOOD KOTZE: Agent Red. Thanks for coming by.

RED: Is it always this hot here in Paso Robles?

LOOD: Not quite always, but, yes, it gets hot here.

RED: What effect does that have on the grapes – and the wines that are made from them?

LOOD: It’s hard to generalize about Paso Robles, but I would say that the wines from here are deeper and more concentrated. They are very rich, intense and strongly flavored. People love Paso wines for their accessibility. I think that wines from here are more universally appealing.

RED: Tell me, Lood, who do you make wines for?

LOOD: I tend to make wines that I personally like to drink. Luckily, that happens to match up with what fans of our wines also like!

RED: Good thing. I think that left to their own devices, some winemakers would end up making wines that only they like! Tell me, what would you say is your winemaking style?

LOOD: Well, I really believe that the terroir give the quality of a wine and the winemaker just maintains the quality. Great wine really begins in great vineyards. Starting with the best fruit, I tend to allow the wine to do its own thing with minimal input.

RED: Do you ever have to tweak a wine at all?

LOOD: Of course, but always in the most subtle ways possible. Really, the vineyard does most of the work, I just take care of the wine throughout the process.

RED: Before I let you go, please tell me what’s going on in the winery right now.

LOOD: Well, the vineyards are looking great, with shoots that are more than a foot long! In the winery, we just finished up with one round of bottling – and so now my focus is on our 2008’s.

RED: And, before you know it, harvest will be here!

LOOD: Don’t say that! We still have the summer and into the fall… but, yeah, before you know it, harvest will be here.

RED: Listen, I love Cass wines. The Rockin’ One is honestly the best Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre blend I have ever tasted.

LOOD: It is a great wine. Most blends of this style are usually reductive and austere. The Rockin’ One is way expressive and very delicious.

RED: It rocks!

LOOD: Indeed!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Cass Winery can be seen in this satellite photo.