October 27, 2012 – Wine: 2002 Surh Luchtel Cabernet Sauvignon

Back in 2006, I discovered that Brix restaurant in Napa Valley featured a wine shop where you could buy (at retail prices) the wines on their award-winning menu, as well as a few others.  When I inquired about their half-bottles, the saleswoman took me discretely into the cooler and I felt like a kid in a candy shop.  I found a half-bottle of Merryvale Profile, a Baldacci Cabernet, and this wine, which the saleswoman assured would cellar nicely.  It sure did, too.  A plush wine with vintage-typical fruit of cherry, cranberry, and red currant, as well mineral and leather notes, the wine remains highly structured, richly bodied, and retains dusty tannins.  I expect it to easily go another five years in the cellar, and I’ll find out when I open the last bottle.   Now, if only I could thank the kind saleswoman for directing me to this wine.  (Note that three nights later – corked on the countertop – the wine was drinking as well as it did the first night.)

2002 Surh Luchtel Cabernet Sauvignon