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What We Say 2008 Sadie's Red Wine
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Mission Codename: A dog’s life
Operative: Agent White
Objective: Respond to the Spy Dog’s insistence to acquire a wine named after her four-legged fury friend Sadie.
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Trahan Winery
Wine Subject: 2008 Sadie’s Red Wine
Winemaker: Chuck Custodio
Winemaker: Our Operatives love a great California red blend, and today we are proud to present a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot, from Trahan Winery. Trahan, who specializes in bold California reds, has a great tasting room right in the middle of downtown Napa. If you ever find yourself in Napa, please be sure to pop in for a visit.
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – Dark ruby red in color with a dense but clear core and its deep ruby color extending into the meniscus where it lightens only slightly. When swirled, evenly spaced thin legs race do the side of the glass to the wine below.
Smell – Bold dark fruit and smokey wood aromas lead the way with jammy notes of blackberry, cassis other dark ripe fruit. Smokey and toasted oak along with bittersweet chocolate and mocha and with soft green herbal and earthy undertones adds depth and invites a sip.
Feel – This full-bodied dry wine is smooth and rich on entry that at mid palate the firm and finely grained tannins and dusty minerality take hold and coat the palate. A distinct graphite minerality, spice and vibrant acidity creates a sturdy framework for the ripe and lively fruit.
Taste – Youthfully ripe, rich and jammy fruit of plum, cassis and tangy currants blend with notes of hot and exotic spice, bittersweet chocolate, smokey oak and savory and meaty leather. Oaky undertones of toast and vanilla also emerge as you explore the flavors of this wine.
Finish – This wine finishes long with its lingering sturdy and mouth drying tannins lasting the longest as the vibrant acidity and minerality fades with the ripe and tangy fruit.
Conclusion – 2008 Trahan Winery Sadie’s Red Wine is a unique and delicious blend that is both fruit forward with ripe and tangy fruit but also has a sturdy and textured mouthfeel which makes it a great wine for food. Be sure to let this wine open up and breath as it is. I nice wine to pair with a bone-in rib-eye so you own four-legged fury friend gets a treat as well.
Mission Report:
With harvest approaching, Chuck Custodio was unable to sit with us for our customary interview. Be sure to check back with us, the next time we feature another outstanding Trahan wine.
Wine Spies Vineyard Check:
The approximate location of the Trahan Winery can be seen in this satellite photo.
What the Winery Says
Trahan Winery
About This Wine:
Aged for 24 months in American oak barrels, this blend has bursts of cassis, grape jelly, and mocha with a hint of watermelon on the nose. Plum, blackberry, grape jolly rancher, mocha, leather, and hints of vanilla oak. Firm acidity and moderate plus tannins – enjoy with steaks, grilled meats, game meats, lamb and ribs.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Napa Humane Society.
About The Winery:
Located in the heart of the Napa Valley, Trahan Winery is a small, family winery dedicated to creating incredible wines from only the highest quality grapes. The vineyards we choose to work with are hand farmed by small growers dedicated in their own right to producing exceptional fruit. Our passion is to bring joy into our lives and others through our offering of fine wines.
About The Winemaker:
Chuck Custodio (Winemaker/Owner) left the corporate world to study the art and science of winemaking. For four years, he commuted from San Francisco to the top of the Napa Valley, driving four hours per day to learn the trade. Friends began to comment on his dedication: “you’re crazy!,” and “I’d never do that!” Chuck began his career in the wine industry at a couple of Napa’s finest boutique wineries (Vincent Arroyo and Storybook Mountain). “Learn by doing” is his mantra. Due to his diligence, he was rewarded by the creation of Trahan Winery, and the release of his first vintage – 200 cases of 2002 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – released at his June 19, 2004 wedding to his wife Janna. Keeping in line with his family’s background of dedication to superior farming (Chuck’s family on his Father’s side were migrant farm workers) and winemaking (Chuck’s family on his Mother’s side, the Trahan’s, were grape growers and winemakers way back when in France ), Chuck continues to strive for excellence in the wines he brings to the oenophile’s world with unparalleled passion.
Technical Analysis:
Varietals: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot
Alcohol: 14.1%
Production: Only 200 Cases
Barrel Regimen: 36% new american oak. Half of the new barrels were Minnesota oak and the other half was Missouri oak.
