If there's a better place on earth for Cabernet Sauvignon than the Napa valley in California then I've yet to discover it. Lush, super smooth and creamy, are just a few of the words I've used over the years and still failed to adequately describe the delights I've experienced.
If you don't believe me, just search the 1976 Paris Wine Tasting, commonly known in the wine trade as the judgement of Paris. It was a tasting that cemented the wines of the Napa as some of the best in the world when a Chardonnay and a Cabernet from sunny California took the top slots in a blind tasting of the world's experts.
Now for the bad news. While you can buy some affordable Californian reds, the ones from Napa itself tend to be snotteringly expensive. Well worth it in my opinion, but the price tags can often bring on a panic attack.
Anyway, what should you expect once you’ve shelled out your kid's inheritance on a bottle? Expect a ripe nose, incredibly smooth cassis fruits and a finish that makes many a top Bordeaux red blush.
Rutherford Ranch Cabernet
Aromas of black cherries and cassis with a silky fruit dominated palate and a long layered finish with hints of toasty oak.
Finewinedirect.co.uk £39.95
Ca Moni Cabernet
Considering this is one of the best value Napa reds, it leaves absolutely nothing in the vineyard. Layer after layer of rich cassis and dark cherries with hints of coffee, cedar wood and vanilla on the finish. Gorgeous.
darcywine.co.uk £26.49
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