2006 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
July 21, 2011 by David
Filed under Blog, Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, Winemaker Notes
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Some of the greatest and most cellar-worthy wines in the world are grown in very poor soils, and our Howell Mountain Cabernet is a classic example. Struggling in the shallow, compressed volcanic ash on our rugged slope, the vines send their roots deep into the earth in search of water and nutrients.
Flavor profile: Full-bodied and rich with black cherry, blackberry, cocoa, vanilla, anise, earth and spice.
2006 Vintage: Low crop yields and a long ripening season produced small berries with great flavor intensity, deep color and firm tannins.
Drink now and through: 2015
Food Suggestions
The big, rich flavors of this Cabernet partner well with a good steak and slow- cooked dishes like osso-buco, short ribs and other hearty fare. From Colleen’s recipe collection we recommend Grilled Rib-Eye Steak with Baked Garlic Butter.
Which Vintage Year Should I Buy?
We frequently get questions from readers and visitors and will be posting some of these here on the blog from time to time. Here’s one we just received:
Question:
…when I go to purchase a bottle of wine — the year on the bottle — should I look for past or present years? I’m confused on this, etc: 2007 or 2008. Can you educate me on this please.
Answer:
The year on the label indicates when the grapes were harvested and made into wine. This is also known as the vintage year. Most wines made today are intended for consumption upon release with white and rose wines best within 2-3 years after the vintage and red wines best within 3-5 years. A few wines benefit from extended aging of up to 10 years, such as our Howell Mountain Cabernet, but as a rule of thumb you should be looking for vintage years that are within just a few years of today. If a wine does not have a vintage date, it is a blend of 2 or more vintages and is best to be consumed right now.
You can read more about this subject in our wine education article on Aging & Storage.
If you have a wine or food related question send it in and we might post it here on the blog. We also will answer you via email.
