Varietal:Â 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region:Â California – Livermore Valley
Cost:Â $19
My Review:Â In case you missed it, Valentine’s Day was this past Tuesday, and since my wife and I had theater tickets for the 16th (which is today), we decided to have a quiet evening at home for Valentine’s Day, throwing some steaks, lobster tails, and asparagus on the grill since it was unseasonably warm here in Virginia.
To pair with said surf and turf dinner we decided to open up one of the bottles we had brought back with us from California during our trip last September. Given our choice of meals, the 2003 Retzlaff Estate Cabernet Sauvignon seemed like a good pairing. I was quickly reminded of why we bought this bottle of wine.
On the nose I got the hint of mocha that I found so attractive when we first tasted the wine, with plenty of nice tart fruit in the mouth that paired very well with the meal. I remember the wine being smooth on the finish back when we first tasted it, but some extra time in the bottle, and being decanted before being served, certainly didn’t hurt.
What I liked so much about this wine was that while it paired well with the steak, it was also great just by itself, making it a nice versatile wine, something that I find appealing in any bottle I open up. While I would normally tell you to go out and grab a bottle of this if you could, my wife and I got s spectacular deal on this bottle back in September because they were trying to clear out stock to release the 2004 vintage, so you might not be able to get it. That being said, if you do come across a bottle of the 2003 vintage I recommend grabbing it, and I also recommend stopping into Retzlaff Winery if you happen to be in Livermore Valley tasting wine.
