Great Wines From Spain

Wine Style: Red Still Wine

Winemaker's Notes:

Grape Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah

The Esser Cabernet was sourced principally from vineyards in an area we continue to appreciate for the quality and value of its fruit: the eastern edge of Lodi, where soils are rockier and shallower than in most of Lodi, and so are more suitable for vines. With 92% of the blend from this area, the wine has a necessarily ripe, large-scale, juicy profi le that benefi ted from the addition of percentages of slightly more vigorous wines with brighter aromatics. There were two of these: one Cabernet lot from Sonoma County, near Windsor (3%), the other a Clarksburg Petite Sirah (5%), both of these helped to add top notes to the aroma. A rich, ruby/indigo color, the wine offers aromas of juicy black plum and fig along with tones of sweet tobacco and toffee oak. It is broad and lush on the palate, with plenty of stuffing and dimension. It is brawny enough to be a delicious match for virtually all roasted or grilled red meats and game; t will also pair wonderfully with hearty pastas and stews. Try it with braised lamb shank!