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: The Patron Saint of Dancers

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Investigate the delicious wines of Vitus Napa Valley and their Cabernet Sauvignon, winner of one of the top wines of the 2006 vintage.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Vitus Napa Valley

Wine Subject: 2006 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker: John Gilpin

Backgrounder: The Oakville AVA, centrally located and adjacent to Napa Valley’s famous Rutherford AVA, was established in July 1993. Oakville is considered on of the most diverse AVA’s in the Napa area and grows some of the best Merlot in California. Napa Valley is revered worldwide as the ultimate area in which to produce Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2006 vintage, in particular, has produced some of the finest wines of the recent vintages.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deepest purple and almost black with an inky dense core. Along the edges, the color becomes dark garnet and when swirled color stained legs ring the glass before descending to the wine below.

Smell – Forward and bold with abundant black fruit and red currants layers over a base of spiced French oak. A touch of black licorice and hints of floral violets and a subtle herbal component round out the complex nose of this wine.

Feel – Smooth and dry, this full-bodied wine is expansive on the palate, almost chewy, with fine well developed tannins that are framed by this wine’s lively acidity and fine dark mineral textures.

Taste – Rich blackberry, red currant and other classic Cabernet dark fruit flavors are well integrated with soft toasted oak, cigar tobacco and cedar box, black licorice and anise, subtle herbal notes and floral violets.

Finish – Long and lingering dark fruit fades softly leaving behind hints of the other complex flavors found on the palate. This wine’s fine textured tannins linger just a bit longer and beg you for another sip.

Conclusion – The 2006 Vitus Napa Valley Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon is a delicious Cabernet, fully representative of a fantastic vintage in Napa Valley. Great dark fruit and other complex flavors on the palate, a bold but approachable mouth-feel, generous on the palate with great complexity without sacrificing its approachability. Enjoy this wine right away or cellar for five to ten years.

Mission Report:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: John Gilpin

WINE EDUCATION: Cal Poly B.S U.C Davis – Enology

CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: Winemaker for three labels

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: Blending will always produce a better wine!

WINEMAKER QUOTE: ” Be Patient”

FIRST COMMERCIAL WINE RELEASE: 6-1-04

WINEMAKER INTERVIEW

AGENT RED: Greetings, John. We are thrilled to be showing your 2006 Oakville Cabernet today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

JOHN: Thanks, Agent Red. I hear that Agent White is a

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

JOHN: My very first taste.

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

JOHN: Helen Turley – she really got what Napa really was all about: Big, ripe wines.

RED: Who do you make wine for?

JOHN: I make the wine first for myself, because if I don’t like the wines I am making why bother.

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

JOHN: This 2006 Cabernet is a rich, opulent wine that should age nicely for another 5-7 years

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

JOHN: Blue cheese, soft ripe triple cream brie, lamb, and fatty cuts of beef.

RED: In your opinion, what makes Oakville so special?

JOHN: Oakville has all the right ingredients for producing world class cabernets, warm days cool nights and fog covered mornings make for long hang time and ripe fruit.

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

JOHN: Racking, and some preliminary blending. And always tasting the wines for potential problems

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

JOHN: With an open mind and with no preconceived ideas about the wine. Let the wine speak for itself!

RED: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

JOHN: I hope you enjoy the wine because there is a part of myself that goes into each bottle! Cheers!

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!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

Vitus Napa Valley can be tasted at the tasting room of our friends at Napa’s Bourassa Vineyards, the location of which can be seen in this satellite photo. Be sure to mention you are a wine spy when visiting.