March 24, 2014 – Wine: 2005 Saint Clement Oroppas

I still remember when I first discovered a few half-bottles of 2001 Oroppas online and ordered some.  The wine rating was 93 points, so it couldn’t be too bad.  The description mentioned something about full-throttle delivery, and sure enough, that wine delivered.  This 2005 vintage, the first under the guidance of a new wine maker, was a little softer, yet each time I tasted it young, I craved for a bottle it.  It offered the best of the red fruits that typified the vintage, and when I had misplaced a couple of bottles, I nearly cried.  (I later discovered them in the secret aging box beneath the other boxes in my cellar.)  Tonight I pulled the cork on another one, and was pleased.  Perhaps most notable was the nose, which I could discern through my allergy-congested nose.  On the complex palette I noted flavors of pomegranate, cherry, vanilla, minerals, and baking spices.  This wine still has a few years of life remaining in it for cellaring.

2005 Saint Clement Oroppas Cabernet Sauvignon