August 8, 2014 – Wine: 2002 Macauley Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

I first discovered this wine in a grocery store in Napa back in 2009 and opened it a few months afterward.  Regrettably, the wine was delicious and the store had sold out of the half-bottles that I fell for so strongly.  The wine was flashy and young, a great specimen of the 2002 vintage from Napa Valley.  Three years later, while visiting the new Macauley tasting room just outside of Saint Helena, the winemaker indicated that they still had a handful of half-bottles of this 2002 vintage remaining, so my friend and I snapped up a few of them.  Of the four bottles I brought home and opened, this last bottle was far ahead of the others.  The balance was nearly perfect, with good structure remaining.  Not quite rich, the palette can only be described as delicious, with great red fruit flavors including cranberry, pomegranate, red currants, pencil lead, baking spices, and minerals.  Check out my notes from September 22, 2013 for a comparison.

2002 Macauley Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon