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What We Say 2005 Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
SUPERIOR WINE ALERT:
Today’s wine is a big, delicious, elegant, classic Napa Valley Cabernet – and we are proud to give it this special accolade. Whenever we feature a really stand-out wine, we issue a Superior Wine Alert.
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Mission Codename: Down the Rabbit Hole
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Send Agent Red to infiltrate – to retrieve their delicious and elegant 2005 Coniglio Diamond District Cabernet Sauvignon
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Coniglio Wines
Wine Subject: 2005 Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon
Winemaker: Craig A. Becker
Backgrounder: Send Agent Red to infiltrate Coniglio Wines, producer of highly-rated Cabernet Sauvignon in the Napa Valley. Procure an ample supply of bottles for our exacting Operatives
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – Darkly foreboding, with deep black cherry hues, a nearly solid core. At the edge of the glass, a fine line of dark red plum rings the wine. After a good swirl, chubby, wine-stained legs make their way quickly down the glass.
Smell – A heady rush of ripe blackberry, black cherry and blueberry are first to greet the nose. Directly behind these are heavenly aromas of black plum, espresso beans and dark chocolate.
Feel – This wine glides across the entire palate with velour ease. After a moment, supple tannins add a touch of dryness and complexity.
Taste – Expansive and rich, this wine leads with black cherry, cassis and black plum. Immediate following are dark red cherry, blackberry, toasted oak, dark chocolate and subtle sweetwoods.
Finish – Elegant and long, the wine starts silky and smooth, then goes slightly dry and mouth coating as flavors gradually tail off.
Overall – This is a gorgeous and elegant wine, made in the bold style of the big, classic Napa Cabernet houses. Elegant and lush, the flavors and aromas are presenteed in big but balanced style. The feel is fantastic, inviting lingering – and repeated – sipping. Pair this food-friendly wine with nearly anything, particularly a hearty grilled steak. Prepare to be very impressed, dear Operatives, this is the big Napa Cab you have been waiting for!
Mission Report:
Our winemaker is AWOL, today, but we have our agents roving the Napa Valley, in search of him. We hope to sit down with him, for a complete interview, later today. Please check this space, later today.
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
The location of Coniglio Wines, in beautiful downtown St. Helena – in the Napa Valley – can be seen in this satellite photo.
What the Winery Says
Coniglio
About This Wine:
The 2005 Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits a deep purple color. The nose is packed with blueberries and a toasty mocha balanced with hints of stone fruit. Opulent fruit flavors balance this sophisticated wine with toasty oak and rich supple tannins. The wine is endowed with a symphony of crisp cassis and redcurrant together with a silky elegant finish. This elegant wine can be enjoyed now and will benefit from the accompaniment of full flavored foods or a nice juicy steak. This wine will also develop with cellar aging as the fruit, acid and tannins perform their intricate dance through time.
About The Winery:
Charles E. Coniglio, Steven C. Coniglio and Craig A. Becker founded Coniglio Wines in 2001. Their partnership spans twenty-five years of friendship, family, tradition and triumph. The vision of the partnership is to produce hand crafted single vineyard wines that reflect the uniqueness and express the nuances of Cabernet Sauvignon from each mountain district in the Napa Valley.
Charles Coniglio has wine in his blood, a second generation Italian-American, whose grandfather came to the United States in 1892 from Cerda, Sicily, one of Sicily’s finest winemaking areas. Charles’ passion for fine wines has been handed down from generations of Italian winemakers. Today, Charles along with his son, Steven, are working together to continue the family tradition of winemaking with Coniglio.
Steven Coniglio will collaborate on all aspects of the business from technical support to national sales and marketing.
Craig Becker: The Coniglios have recruited long time family friend and winemaker, to direct all aspects of wine production. Craig, a native Californian, attended the University of California at Davis studying enology and viticulture, plant biology, soil science, and hydrologic science. His extensive years of winemaking experience have gained him the reputation of a producer of distinct, artisan style wines of high regard. Craig adds Coniglio to his already impressive portfolio of fine wines from Napa Valley, Santa Barbara County, and Lodi.
The Vineyards:
Coniglio Wines has searched for vineyards that exemplify the best combination of site, soil, and viticulture from each of the mountain districts in Napa Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from vineyards on Diamond Mountain, Spring Mountain, Oakville, Atlas Peak, and Howell Mountain. The Cabernet Franc is sourced from a vineyard on the valley floor north of St. Helena, and the Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from Pope Valley.
Detailed Analysis:
Appellation: Diamond Mountain, Napa Valley
Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 15.5%
Barrel Aging: 23 months in 50% new French oak, 50% in once filled French Oak
Fining: Fined
Filtration: Filtered
Production: 400 cases
Bottling: August 2007
Release: Fall 2008
