SUPERIOR WINE ALERT

Today’s Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, from one of our favorite limited-production wineries, is a wine of exceptional character. If you love great Cab, this one belongs in your cellar or on your table

SECRET SAVINGS ALERT:

Subscribe to our Daily Dispatch (above) and you’ll always know what our Top Secret coupon code of the day is. Every day we issue a new members-only code that entitles you to have Ground Shipping included on orders of six or more and, sometimes, an added discount!

Mission Codename: True Bromance

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Operatives loved the Broman wines that we have featured during the last three years – and they have been clamoring for more. Send Agent Red to retrieve another great Broman wine.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Broman Cellars

Wine Subject: 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker: Robert Broman

Backgrounder: Agent Red returns to Broman, and this time procures their limited_production 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. Robert Broman has been ‘in wine’ for more than 30 years. As winemaker for some of the most prestigious wineries in the world, Robert Broman has perfected his skills, making some of the most precious wines. We loved Bob’s remarkable 2003 so when we were given the opportunity get our hands on his 2004, we jumped. Read Agent Red’s tasting notes, along with his interview with Bob Broman, below, and see what makes this remarkable Napa Cab so unique

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep purple, with a deeper, almost impenetrable heart of nearly black plum. This rich-looking wine shows a heavy, viscous surface. Thin, wine-hued legs are left behind after swirling, cascading in multiple rounds

Smell – Lush and juicy red fruit lead the way, with natural raspberry and Bing cherry. These are soon joined by blackberry, soft cedar, supple leather, plum, bramble and dark chocolate

Feel – Soft and light on the initial attack. Then, a lush, medium body is gradually revealed, eventually leading to a mid-palate richness that spreads outward throughout the whole mouth

Taste – Gorgeous, delicious and rich, with layers of red and black fruit of cherry, raspberry, blackberry and light plum. These sit atop lush earthen chocolate, leather, dried red flower petals and soft herbs

Finish – Soft and flavor-filled, with long-lingering flavors of sweet fruit and soft, bright spice

Conclusion – We are so fortunate to be able to experience successive vintages from our various wineries – but some wineries make us feel extra fortunate. Such is the case with Broman Cellars, whose newest Cabernet Sauvignon is remarkable treat. Where last years vintage took some coaxing (extended decanting and extensive swirling) to have it realize its full potential, we found today’s wine to be ready to drink, right out of the bottle. With some simple swirling, of course, the wine shows off a bit more, but we loved it throughout our entire drinking experience. With lush and deeply delicious flavors, and classic Cab aromatics, this is a hearty but balanced wine that is a thrill to drink. We paired ours with homemade corn crust pizzas, with a variety of classic toppings. The wine was the perfect compliment to our dinner, enhancing the experience, not overpowering our meal. We offer our big thank you to Bob Broman, one of our heroes of Napa Cabernet!

Mission Report:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: Bob Broman

WINE EDUCATION: 1973 Graduate of UC Davis – Enology

CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: Louis Martini (crush position), Concannon Vineyards, Guenoc, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, St. Supéry, international consulting

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: Bob makes what he calls “three-glass wines.” Wines that you want to sip and savor and enjoy more of that do not leave you with “palate fatigue” from overpowering tannins or alcohol.

WINEMAKER QUOTE: “We use grapes to make wine.”

FIRST COMMERCIAL WINE RELEASE: 1994 vintage released in late 1999

WINEMAKER INTERVIEW

AGENT RED: Greetings, Bob. We are thrilled to be showing your newest Cabernet Sauvignon today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

BOB: Thank you so much for having me!

RED: Was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?

BOB: It was the very first winemaking class that I took at UC Davis – it was a survey course and I fell in love.

RED: What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?

BOB: My time working with Warren Winiarski at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars really helped me to define my winemaking style, but really every position that I held was a step towards the wines that I make now.

RED: Who do you make wine for?

BOB: I started by making wines for myself. My wife, Deborah, and I started Broman Cellars so that I would have an outlet to craft the wines that I wanted to make and not the particular style of any other winery.

RED: Please tell me a little bit about the wine we are featuring today.

BOB: The Broman Cellars 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is the current release from us. We give our red wines a couple of years of bottle age before release to make sure that consumers are getting our product at their best point. We do the ageing for them to give them the best possible experience when they enjoy our wines. This Cabernet is a tiny production but really lush and beautiful right now.

RED: What is your favorite pairing with today’s wine?

BOB: It’s a simple one – a rare Fillet Mignon and a big glass!

RED: In your opinion, what makes the Napa Valley so special?

BOB: The climate, soils and community are what make the Napa Valley so special.

RED: What is occupying your time at the winery these days?

BOB: The glamorous tasks of purchasing labels and preparing to bottle.

RED: How would you recommend people approach your wines and wine in general?

BOB: We see our wine as something to enjoy and savor with friends, not something to stow away for years waiting for the right occasion.

RED: Thank you so much for your time. We learned a lot about you – and your wine. Keep up the great work, we are big fans!