November 7, 2012 – Wine: 2004 Provenance Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine was so good in its youth (and hard to come by) that I have been reluctant to open any bottles.  But, no wine lasts forever, so I opened one more.  (Doh!  I just discovered that was my last half bottle.)   Most of the young 2004 Napa Valley Cabernets featured lush black fruits wrapped in an elixir style that hid most of the fine tannins.  About two years later the tannins exploded.  This wine, however, remains in balance and has grown in complexity.  While it has lost some of the sweet dark fruits, what remains is delicious.  On the palette are raspberry jam, blackberry, mineral, tobacco, plums, leather, and a persistent finish.  Let this breathe at least 90 minutes.

2004 Provenance Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon