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What We Say 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
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Mission Codename: Pure Joy
Operative: Agent Red
Objective: Revisit Teri Love, owner and winemistress extraordinaire at Gioia Winery, procure her lush, elegant and richly delicious 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Mission Status: Accomplished!
Current Winery: Gioia Winery
Wine Subject: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Winemaker: Teri Love
Backgrounder:
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. This wine is elegant, delicious and layered with aromas and flavors – at a price that is difficult to resist. Read Agent Red’s tasting notes and winemaker interview to learn more about this fantastic Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.
Wine Spies Tasting Profile:
Look – Deep crimson at the edges, darker and more garnet at the core of the wine. After a hearty swirl, tall, skinny, wine-colored tears appear high on the glass wall.
Smell – Layered with aromas of spiced cherry, fresh cedar bark, blackberry preserves, overripe cherry, dried black flower petals, conifer needles.
Feel – Soft, on entry, but only for a moment. Almost immediately, the wine introduces a very plush, crushed velvet feel. A soft dryness spreads from the front of the palate, rearward. Eventually, the lips and cheeks experience a puckering dryness.
Taste – Dark and rich, with overripe blackberry, dark plum, braised plum, dark wild strawberry, savory herbs, cigar box, dark dried cranberry, dried meats and a hint of black pepper.
Finish – Long and packed with flavor, as the plush dryness spreads throughout the palate, it carries with it a hint of black pepper. At the very end, a savory flavor persists, long after the fruits have faded.
Conclusion – This is another wonderful offering from one of longtime favorites, Gioia! This elegant 2009 Gioia Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a dark, layered, plush treat that our tasting panel really loved. In particular, the dark fruit and savory characteristics that had us taking our time with the wine. Aromas are also quite intriguing, with layer upon layer dark fruit and savory aromas that deepen as the wine breathes. Flavors, too, benefit from swirling as you enjoy this delicious wine; the more oxygen the wine gets, the more it opens up, revealing more authentic flavors. Our warm thanks to Teri Love (who we call Agent Love) for crafting yet another terrific wine!
What the Winery Says
Gioia Wines
About This Wine:
The fruit for this luscious Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Jaeger Vineyards in the Oak Knoll District of the Napa Valley.
40 years of growing quality grapes beyond expectation have made this wine exude deep, rich cherry & cassis flavors with a slight hint of green bell pepper & warm spice.
Pair with flavorful & hearty pastas, grilled, roasted or stewed meats. Italian food is a superb choice. Strong flavored cheeses such as Blue cheese, aged Gouda & Cheddar – my favorite – chunky Parmesan….. All chocolate – especially rich dark chocolate knocks the yummy factor into another dimension.
About The Winery:
GIOIA Italian for JOY
The inspiration for GIOIA was born from the joy my son Tyler brings to my life.
He studied abroad for a year in Florence, Italy, cherishing every second of his time there. Making the most of learning the language, traveling extensively…getting into the spirit of Italy.
GIOIA is in honor and memory of his strength, his loyalty, how fiercely he loved life, his family, his friends, animals and his ability to embrace each day with open arms.
Ty showed me by example, to enjoy a great glass of wine while appreciating a gorgeous view in a tropical locale, snow covered mountains, pounding surf, or just chillin at home.
Every moment was an occasion to be celebrated, whether traveling, racing down a ski slope, hiking with our dogs, scoring a perfect ace in tennis, smacking a golf ball, dunking a basketball, riding his bicycle for hours, working out at the gym, dining at his favorite Italian restaurants, shopping for the coolest clothes and Italian shoes, hanging with his friends, enjoying and appreciating his girlfriend….all the while, laughing at himself, never taking life too seriously.
To say he was a joy to be around is a supreme understatement.
Tyler was taken from this world, along with one of his closest childhood friends (Keith Naylor) at the age of 22 on November 12th, 2005.
He was doing another of his favorite pastimes, driving his Ducati. Keith was on the back of the bike that night. They were going to visit friends.
A motorist pulled out from a parked position on the side of the road, in front of them, with no warning. He made an illegal U-Turn across two sets of double yellow lines on the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, California. This act ended the lives of these beautiful, dynamic, vital, amazing young men.
My reason for sharing this tragedy, is to reach out to others. I implore everyone to welcome joy into your lives. Take nothing for granted.
Please honor and appreciate all of your relationships. Open your hearts and arms to all of your loved ones. Enjoy what life has to offer.
Share the GIOIA
LUMU (Tyler’s signature sign off) “Love U Miss U”
Tyler’s Mama – Teri Love
TERI LOVE, ON WINEMAKER, JIM PORTER:
Jim Porter is a masterful wine maker from Santa Maria, California. He began making wine at a very young age just because he loved it. Jim put everything he had into use – kitchen utensils, strainers & trashcans while he was concocting his potions in his barn.
Spurred by his successes in home wine competitions and all of his family and friends enjoying his wine so much – Jim’s dreams of becoming a wine maker were taking shape.
During his college years at California State At Fresno, he majored in Crop Science. His connections with various vineyards made through his agricultural irrigation business and everything he learned at Cal. State – Jim entered the commercial wine making scene in Santa Barbara County in 2003 and immediately began producing award-winning wines.
Jim knew where to go in his search along California’s Central Coast – all the way from Monterey to Santa Barbara, learning the unique characteristics of soil and microclimate at each of the region’s numerous vineyards, determining where to find grapes of the highest quality.
Jim believed that starting with the best from the soil up – he could utilize what he required to create delicious and unique wines.
Jim’s vision is to make wines that sit comfortably somewhere between being fruit forward – stand alone wines, as well as food friendly wines for the ultimate pairing of taste and flavor for a delectable dining experience.
I met Jim in 2007 after moving to the Santa Ynez Valley. To say I went to a lot of wineries and tasted tons of wines is an understatement. Once I was introduced to Jim at a dinner at my own home, and tasted his wines – I knew I had found the wine maker to make my own dreams come true.
We have very similar palates and have the same passion in making the most deliciously satisfying wines possible.
The first 2 wines we “made” together were the 2007 SBC Chardonnay and the 2007 SBC Pinot Noir.
Jim – being a very patient and understanding man – allowed me to blend the barrels together for our 2007 Pinot Noir….it felt like a party with a purpose – so much fun!
Bottling day was an exciting and nerve-racking experience for me – I was smiling like a crazy person all over the place!
That feeling has stayed with me for each and every bottling we do.
Gioia would not be Gioia without Jim Porter.
Technical Analysis:
Alcohol: 14.5%
