Jeff’s Corner

Once again, Hello, Hello, Hello

Here are some words I wrote about the 2013 Cabernet Trois in Jeff’s Corner last July:

“I worry when I keep talking in superlatives about Jason’s wine, but the ‘13 is truly world class. It just came home from the Long Beach California Grand Cru competition with a Gold Medal. For a young wine, or any wine for that matter, it shows finesse and balance that is off the charts. I’m going to buy a case.”

Well, now it’s almost time to say goodbye, but not before it became perhaps my all-time favorite GCV wine. In January it won a double gold medal at the elite San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, and I finally bought that case last week.

I must be becoming fickle in my older age, because the 2014 Cabernet Trois is my new favorite, before the ’13 has even made its curtain call. We tasted it at the staff meeting last Saturday morning (I know, rough meeting!), and it paired really well with our breakfast tacos. Jason and crew has done it again.

Last Monday evening, Kathy and I sat on our porch for a more formal taste, and this time there aren’t superlatives enough to describe this beauty. The blend this vintage is 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Cabernet Franc, 8% Ruby Cabernet, 4.5% Merlot, and 1.5% Sangiovese. The alcohol by volume is 13.8%.

The color is ruby/cherry, and it appears only lightly filtered. I don’t usually make a big deal over legs (at least where wine is concerned), but these are near perfect with tight, well-spaced, and slow moving rivulets.

On the nose and palate the new ’14 Cab Trois exudes a silky elegance, with early aromas of rich black cherry, clove, allspice, and cinnamon. As the wine opens up, layers of red licorice and raspberry emerge with hints of cocoa, cedar, and tobacco. It is both understated and complex at the same time.

Showing great balance between fruit and structure, the finish lingers on our palate long after the wine is gone. Generous amounts of oak combine with firm tannins and brisk acids to promise even more complexity as the wine matures.

I’ve always loved Cabernet Trois’ versatility with food, often joking that it would pair well with anything from pizza to prime rib. Let’s dress this one up, however, and try it with a blackened strip steak finished with roasted garlic and a compound Gorgonzola butter.

We’ll see you next week; get your hankies out…