Pine Ridge Vineyards
2008 Cave 7 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
California: Napa Valley
Mission Briefing
Codename:Top Secret Cave 7
Incredible wine alert: Today’s wine is the finest Cabernet Sauvignon that we’ve tasted in recent memory. We have a limited number of cases available and we hope that you don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to taste this truly amazing Napa Valley Cabernet.
Today’s 2008 Pine Ridge Cave 7 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon set our tasting panel alight. Everyone on the panel was simply floored - and we all came away from the tasting in agreement that wine is one of the best Napa Cabs that we’ve ever featured.
With layer upon layer of rich, concentrated flavors and some of the most enticing aromas, this wine will have you spending a very long time with each glass. With every swirl, every sniff and every sip, the wine reveals itself in new ways. Just when you think that you couldn’t possibly find more aromas or flavors, voilá, more appear!
Ready to enjoy now, this wine has enough backbone to last for a decade or more. We can’t wait to see how it evolves!
Tasting Profile
| Look: | Darkest magenta with a deep heart that is nearly opaque. As you spin the wine, it clings to the glass, leaving behind a dark coating. |
|---|---|
| Smell: | Super dark and ultra lush with layers of dark fruit, spice and earth in perfect harmony. Black cherry, blackberry, dark cedar, dark tobacco leaf, dark dried leather, baking spice and dried wild mushroom. |
| Taste: | Just as complex and layered on the palate, with delicious flavors of blackberry and dark cherry compote, stewed plum, dusty bramble, subtle spice and dried currant. |
| Finish: | Flavors completely coat the palate before supple, integrated tannins gradually dry the palate. |
| Pairing: | This wine would be simply superb with a roasted leg of lamb with a moroccan rub and fresh mint leaf. |
What the Winery Says
: Displaying a dense garnet-black hue, this special blend mesmerizes the nose with a blend of blackberry and cassis aromas supported by undertones of green olive, fresh-ground coffee and leather. The wine boldly greets the palate with bright, ripe black cherry and black raspberry fruits that gradually give way to hints of earthy bramble, baker’s cocoa and sweet cinnamon toast. The intense flavors endure amid silky tannins through the lengthy, toffee-caramel finish.
- Winemaker
- Michael Beaulac
- Appellation
- Napa Valley, California
- Varietal Composition
- 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec
- Aging Potential
- 8 to 10 years
- ABV
- 14.7%
About the Winery
Established in 1978, Pine Ridge Vineyards produces classically proportioned, expressive wines that embody their history and distinct place of origin. Poised, balanced and classically proportioned, the expressive wines born from our estate vineyards across the Napa Valley reflect a distinctive Old World approach to winemaking coupled with a commitment to future sustainability and innovation.
Careful and continuous attention to detail and quality is paramount in our vineyards. In tending the vineyards, harvesting the fruit and crafting the wine, no effort is too great, and no detail is unimportant. The desire to uncover and showcase the exceptional qualities of the diverse estate vineyards that span 200-acres across five appellations is the core of the Pine Ridge winemaking philosophy.
Winemaker Michael Beaulac
Michael Beaulac joined the Pine Ridge Vineyards team as General Manager and Winemaker in 2009. He has worked with some of the most highly regarded wineries in both Sonoma and Napa Valley, including St. Supery, Markham Vineyards and Murphy Goode.
Michael started out as a wine buyer for a Portland, Maine jazz supper club. During a sales visit to the club, Michael met Tim Murphy, co-founder of Murphy-Goode Winery. Impressed by Michael’s palate, Murphy jokingly offered him a job. The following year, Michael took him up on his unintended job offer and began an eight-year career at Murphy-Goode Winery, working his way up from cellar rat to assistant winemaker. He then met Merry Edwards and went to work with her producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay at Laurier.
In 1997, Michael joined Markham Vineyards. There, he began work with Bordeaux varietals. Four years later, he became Vice President and Winemaker of St. Supéry Vineyards and Winery, working with consultant Michel Rolland.
In 2009, Michael joined Pine Ridge Vineyards as Winemaker and General Manager. He still subscribes to Moueix’s philosophy of wine growing, and brings this commitment to managing the winemaking and bottling of over 200 acres of estate fruit from premium vineyard sites in Napa Valley.