AWARD WINNER ALERT:

Today’s wine won a Gold Medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition.

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 and, sometimes, an added discount!

Mission Codename: 8 Seconds

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Infiltrate Voces Wine of Napa Valley, and secure their fabled 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Real McCoy Wines

Wine Subject: 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Winemaker: Robert Mueller

Backgrounder: Winemaker, Robert Meuller, whose 40 year career has seen him work at Robert Mondavi, Opus One and McKenzie-Mueller, is revered as one of Napa’s best.

2007 was a banner year for California Cabernet Sauvignon, earning a stellar 96 Points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. Some of the best Cabernet Sauvignon in the world come from Napa Valley. A delicious and elegant example of the varietal, today’s wine is a Classic Napa Cabernet. Approachable, richly flavorful and deeply delicious, this wine shows off the winemaking skills of Fernando Candelario – at a price that is difficult to resist. Read Agent Red’s tasting notes and winemaker interview to learn more about this fantastic Napa Cab

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Bold hues that remind us of dark red plum skin, this wine has a dark and inky core with light burgundy hues at the edges of the glass. When swirled, the wine shows a springy surface. When the wine settles, it leaves behind skinny, wine-stained legs that move quickly down the glass.

Smell – Dark and layered, this wine leads with big blackberry and dark cherry. These combine with red plum, dark cherry, black plum, dried cranberry and cassis. Beneath these, emerging as the wine breathes, are subtle aromas of cedar, mocha, clove and a hint of black pepper.

Feel – Medium-bold on the attack, with a lush up-front feel. Solid tannins add a bold grip that slowly adds a soft dryness that spreads inward from the edges of the palate, eventually drying the lips and cheeks.

Taste – Bold black fruit is followed by dark red fruit, dried cranberry, tobacco, light oak, mixed dark spices and soft white pepper.

Finish – Extra long, with integrated black and red fruits lingering a long time, before yielding the palate to oak, mixed spice and pepper.

Conclusion – This is a bold wine that delivers depth and expressive dark fruit. Built big, this is a wine to pair with a grilled steak, a pulled pork sandwich or a plate of spaghetti with spicy sausages in a marinara sauce. This wine evolves as you spend time with it, so swirl away and give it ample time to really open up. Patience and swirling will result in softer flavors, more authentic fruit character and softer oak. Pair this wine with a great meal, or enjoy it all on its own. Built for aging, it can be enjoyed now – or for the next 7 to 10 years.

Mission Report:

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

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