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Mission Codename: The new King of Cabernet

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Return to Peters Family Winery. This time retrieve an exclusive allocation of Doug’s single vineyard 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, an Operative favorite, in prior showings.

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Peters Family Winery

Wine Subject: 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Mountain

Winemaker: Douglas Peters

Backgrounder: The Wine Spies have always been huge fans of Peters Family wines. We have always enjoyed Doug’s Cabernets and we were thrilled to learn of his pending release of his 2007. Doug allowed us to get our hands on the wine before its general release, giving our Operatives another worldwide exclusive.

The Sonoma mountain AVA was shaped by ancient volcanic activity. The mountain, which consists of obsidian, marine deposits and ash, rises high above the Sonoma Valley. Vineyards on Sonoma Mountain benefit from being above the fog line. This allows for even, slow ripening – resulting in complex Cabernet Sauvignon with elegant and complex fruit flavors.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark Bordeaux hues, with deeper color at its core and a fine ring of glinting magenta at the edges. After swirling, skinny, wine-stained legs move very slowly down the glass.

Smell – Sweet and very lush, with aromatic ripe red cherry, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, black cherry and dark plum. These sit atop subtler notes of anise, dried violets, toasty caramel, vanilla, spice and hints of dried meats and leather.

Feel – Smooth and light across the entry. Then, quickly more plush and grippy as supple tannins take hold. The wine has a rich, lively elegance without sacrificing its mouth-coating complexity. Bright acids hint at the food-friendliness of the wine.

Taste – Very well-balanced and bursting with berry fruit, this wine leads with blackberry, blueberry, smoky cherry, cranberry, raspberry and cassis. As the wine opens up, follow-on flavors begin to emerge, including bramble, dried fall leaves, soft spice, soft anise and subtle dark chocolate.

Finish – Long and very flavorful, dark berry fruit lingers as soft spice, chocolate, earthy bramble and dried leaves follow behind. At the very end, chocolate and a hint of zesty pepper remain as a soft dryness spreads throughout the palate.

Conclusion – Who says that the Napa Valley is home to the Kings of Cabernet? Today’s offering from Doug Peters is a worthy adversary that some would say bests Napa rivals of the same price. Today’s 2007 Peters Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon was grown high atop Sonoma Mountain, an AVA (American Viticultural Area) known for elegant and flavor-rich Cabernet. Over the years, Doug has deliberately made only a few Cabernets. This, because he is a perfectionist, seeking out only the finest fruit from the best vineyards during those best-ever vintages. Today’s Sonoma Mountain wine hails from the spectacular 2007 vintage, and Doug has managed to coax the vest best from the grapes. This wine is flavorful, elegant, complex and very approachable. Food-friendly, we’d recommend pairing this wine with a favorite meat dish or an assortment of hard cheeses. Enjoy now, but please lay a few bottles down for the next several years, as this wine will only continue to improve over the next few years.

Mission Report:

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: Douglas Peters

WINE EDUCATION: Stanford University, BA

CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: Domaine Carneros, Trefethen Vineyards

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: Make great wine!…by respecting and nurturing the natural processes at work in the vineyard and the winery.

WINEMAKER QUOTE: “Vino ipsa loquitor”

FIRST COMMERCIAL WINE RELEASE: 2003

WINEMAKER INTERVIEW

AGENT RED: Welcome back, Douglas. It is wonderful to continue to get to know you and your great wines. And, we are thrilled to be showing your Sonoma Stage Vineyard Pinot Noir today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

DOUG PETERS: You are welcome! I am happy to share this special pinot noir with your operatives.

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

DOUG: Not a specific experience, but an accumulation of experiences tasting and sharing wines from around the world, which made me aware how wines, particularly great ones, can truly be a celebration of life and nature.

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

DOUG: I always admired Baron Mouton Rothschild, Robert Mondavi, and many others who came after…

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

DOUG: With an empty glass!…and an open mind.

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

DOUG: Cheers!

RED: Well said… 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:

The approximate location of the Peters Family Winery can be seen in this <A HREF=“http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Peters+Family+Winery,CA&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=38.911557,58.007813&ie=UTF8&hq=PetersFamily+Winery,&hnear=California&ll=38.425529,-122.848134&spn=0.004497,0.007081&t=h&z=17&iwloc=A”