Sol Rouge Vineyard & Winery
2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
California: Napa Valley
Mission Briefing
Sol Power
Today’s Sol Rouge Vineyard & Winery 2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a more than welcome return to The Wine Spies from one of our favorite wineries. Winemaker Bryan Kane always comes through with fantastic wines, and with the *Wine Spectator Magazine** ranking of *98 points**, we had incredibly high hopes for this one. Lo and behold, this Napa Cab was so delicious it surpassed even our highest expectations!
Lush and luxurious, this wine is highlighted by the stunning interplay of sweet dark fruit and earth on the mid-palate, with a silky smooth finish that has just the right amount of velvety grip. When you think of a classic Napa Cab, this wine fits the bill perfectly.
We have had the pleasure of bringing you some amazing Napa Cabs in the past, and this gem from Sol Rouge belongs with the best of them. Be sure to stock up!
Tasting Profile
| Look: | Deepest, darkest scarlet at the center of the glass, with a lovely hazy red ruby at the edge. |
|---|---|
| Smell: | Rich and concentrated on the nose, with stewed black cherry, dark plum jam, aged cigar box, sweet cedar wood, dark baking spices, and espresso bean. |
| Taste: | A beautiful combination of dark fruit and sweet earth, with reduced fruit of sweet plum, blackberry, and black currant laid overtop sweet tobacco leaf, fresh berry bramble, licorice, clove, nutmeg, rosemary, and a touch of pomegranate black tea. |
| Finish: | Long and luxurious, with plenty of dark fruit and sweet earth slowly trailing away, leaving a subtle tartness on the tip of the tongue. |
| Pairing: | A grilled New York Strip, served with a mushroom and pink peppercorn reduction drizzled overtop. |
What the Winery Says
Our 2010 Sol Rouge Mountain Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is made exclusively from mountain Cabernet Sauvignon fruit from the Mayacamas Mountains in Napa. We’ve selected the best barrels of wine made from the vineyards we work with in the Mayacamas Mountains to make this Reserve wine. Exhibiting dark focused fruit and a hint of black pepper and cigar box in the nose, this wine carries classic cassis and licorice notes on the palate, common to mountain fruit. In the mouth, this highly structured Cabernet Sauvignon contains firm tannins with underlying richness and dark red and black berry fruit in a long finish 45+ second finish. This wine will cellar well over the next 10-15+ years.
- Winemaker
- Bryan Kane
- Accolades
- Gold Medal - American Fine Wine Competition, Top Cabernet of the Year (Runner-Up) - Food & Beverage World
- Appellation
- Napa Valley, California
- ABV
- 14.4%
About the Winery
Sol Rouge is a family estate vineyard and winery located in the Red Hills Appellation at elevations over 1800 feet. North of Napa Valley in the foothills of the dormant volcano which formed the North Coast wine country, this land contains rich, red volcanic soil and, from this unique profile, Sol Rouge derived its name – translating to “Red Soil” in French. This 70 acre estate is currently planted with Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Counoise, Petite Syrah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc and will soon be planted with Cinsault. Nestled between Mt. Konocti and Benson Ridge in the Mayacamas Mountain range, this aggressive sight is all hillside with slopes up to 60% and is said to be the most tightly planted vineyard in the Red Hills, with nearly 6000 vines per hectare in some blocks.
Sol Rouge is focused on producing wines from the grape varietals of Southern France’s Rhone and Bordeaux regions. We are currently partnering with vineyards in California who produce these varietals and who have distinct soil profiles similar to our terroir and those microclimates similar to that of these great wine regions of France. Our “non-intervention” winemaking philosophy will help to bring the true flavor and characteristics of the vineyard through to our wines.
Winemaker Brian Kane
Brian subscribes to natural and non-interventionist winemaking techniques which he developed in studies at UC Davis and through experience making wine at Siduri, Roessler and other top California wineries. Brian also follows a 24-hour fermentation management program for his wines. The program involves varying the temperature and cap management procedure on a 3-4 hour time basis at various stages of the fermentation process. It is a process which he claims contributes to the color and structure of the wine without the need for external additives.