Wine By Nine

Red Wine by Robert Craig Cellars from Napa Valley, California. The 2004 Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon distills the essence of this appellation into a powerful and complex wine that emphasizes pure fruit flavors and supple tannins. The distinctive Mt. Veeder presentation of deep black cherry and cassis carries through from first sip to an impressive finish, while round, ripe mountain tannins provide the backbone for cellaring. Aroma: A lovely bouquet of deep black cherry, cassis and cedar with underlying mountain perfume. Flavors: Luscious, pure black cherry and cassis, enhanced with licorice, cocoa, and bay leaf nuances. Finish: The expressive Mt. Veeder character of dark berry and cassis is long and lingering, backed by supple tannins and notes of tobacco and vanilla. A complex, inviting, and beautifully balanced wine with pure flavors and a fine tannin structure, exhibiting power and grace.

Red Wine by Concha y Toro from Chile, South America. Don Melchor was hailed the best Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile by both the Wine Spectator and Robert Parker. Named after the founder of the winery, Don Melchor de Concha y Toro, the wine has become a symbol of the best the land and the winemaker's hand can produce in Chile. The Puente Alto Vineyard in the Maipo Valley has the perfect combination of climate and soils for producing world-class wine: the climate is ideal and predictable, and the soil is poor and gravelly to reduce yields and increase concentration naturally. After fermentation, the wine is matured in the finest French oak barriques for 14 months, followed by another year in the bottle before release. Ripe fleshy fruit and berries lead off this highly aromatic wine. Later, the tobacco and chocolate come through and marry with the vanilla. Agreeable, mature tannins elegantly convey the best expression of the Puente Alto vines. The pleasant, long finish displays great harmony and balance.

Ship a bottle for just a buck. Details at Wine.com.Red Wine by d'Arenberg from McLaren Vale, Australia. Upon release, The Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon has a vibrant young deep red - purple color. The nose shows intense blackcurrant fruit, cedary cinnamon spice barrel ferment & oak derived aromas, violet and mint scents as well as liquorice & chocolate smells. These are followed by a typically firm but fine-grained tannin extended texture overlaying soft plum which deceptively disguises the rich powerful cassis and blackcurrant flavors. The emphasis is on powerful full-bodied varietal fruit flavor integrated with barrel fermented and oak matured characters falling into the cedary, smokey and cashew spectrum. The 2002 Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon possesses a sweet perfume of roasted herbs, black currants, blackberries. Lead pencil shavings, and background oak. Full-bodied and structured, drink it over the next 12+ years.- The Wine Advocate, Robert Parker

Red Wine by d'Arenberg from McLaren Vale, Australia. The 2004 Coppermine Road, one of D'Arenberg's flagship icon reds, is a complex and full bodied wine dominated by red fruits, blueberry, cranberry, cedary cinnamon spice and earth. Vibrant aromas of cassis, blackcurrant, and plum harmonize with the well structured palate. With bottle age, this wine will gain more complex characters of chocolate, truffle, cigar box and earth but maintains its seamless rolling finish. The backward, opaque inky/purple-colored 2004 The Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon offers up scents of blueberries, graphite, black currants, and background oak as well as licorice. Espresso and chocolate aromas also emerge as the wine sits in the glass. Deep, full-bodied, and chewy, this structured 2004 is best cellared for several years, and consumed over the following 12-15. -The Wine Advocate Saturated ruby. A lush, fruit-forward rendition of textbook cabernet aromas: cherry, plum, cigar box, tobacco, mint, anise and musky underbrush. Lush, supple and almost sweet in its red fruit expression, with rounded, suave tannins supporting the ripe redcurrant flavors. Really expands on the finish, picking up a darker note of blackcurrant and a hint of bitter chocolate. The balance of fruit and tannins is impressive. -International Wine Cellar

Red Wine by d'Arenberg from McLaren Vale, Australia. Since 1912 four generations of the Osborn family have tended their nineteenth century vineyards just north of the township of McLaren Vale, bordered by Seaview Road, Chalk Hill Road and Twenty-eight Road. But on their western side, the winery's best Cabernet Sauvignon runs parallel to the one road with four separately named parts, Field Street, Oliver Road at each end and Coppermine Road. Naturally confused, locals just refer to it as Brewery Hill Road. Vintage 2005 could be summarized as a vintage that ripened without interruptions. The resulting wines are tight with amazing red fruit fragrance and lovely acidity. Crops yields were above average although slightly under the 2004 vintage. The 2005 Coppermine Road, one of d'Arenberg's flagship icon reds, is a complex and full bodied wine dominated by red fruits, blueberry, cranberry, cedary cinnamon spice and earth. Vibrant aromas of cassis, blackcurrant, and plum harmonize with the well structured palate. With bottle age, this wine will gain more complex characters of chocolate, truffle, cigar box and earth but maintain its seamless rolling finish.

Red Wine by Groth from Napa Valley, California. The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon is big and lush with huge gobs of fruit in the aroma and flavor. The texture of the wine is soft and supple, typical of Cabernet Sauvignons grown in Groth's area of the Oakville AVA. Patience during bottle aging will reward the steward with an outstanding bottle over the next 10 to 15 years. I enjoy a glass of Oakville Cabernet with a grass-fed, roasted New York steak and a potato-butternut squash gratin. - Kimball Jones, Culinary Director

Red Wine by Hess from Napa Valley, California. Blend: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Merlot The wines of Hess Mount Veeder reflect Donald Hess' vision of mountain wines with winemaking and grape growing working hand in hand to extract the best expressions of mountain fruit. These wines display balance and elegance with ample strength and structure to age. Mount Veeder is the coolest, southernmost mountain district in Napa and has both a volcanic and geologically unique soil that only occurs in this mountain AVA. The unique attributes of the soils, exposures and altitude create wines that reveal the mountain's distinct personality. The aroma expresses cassis, molasses, milk chocolate, black berry, and black cherry followed by briary notes of sweet loganberry and oak-cedar. On the palate the wine is layered with the same fruit characters and dark chocolate with chewy tannins and a medium bodied mid palate that build through the finish. Great age worthy potential.

Red Wine by Grgich Hills from Napa Valley, California. Our Yountville vineyard, which we began farming biodynamically in 2003, supplies the main body of our Napa Valley blend. Nicely balanced between fruit and tannin, this elegant wine is rich with aromas of black cherry, crushed rose petals and cocoa powder. This full bodied wine goes well with roasted meats, grilled Portobello mushrooms or a firm cow's milk cheese such as Edam or Gouda. An early spring and a warm summer created perfect growing conditions for one of the earliest harvests we've had in 10 years. This produced a small crop of fully-ripe grapes with wonderful concentration and deep flavors. The Cabernet from our Yountville vineyard is the Inglenook clone on St. George rootstock. These dry farmed vines have pushed their roots deep into the rocky soil, which creates intensely flavored grapes. Our organically grown Rutherford and Calistoga vineyards also contribute to the blend to create a true Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Red Wine by Martin Ray from Sonoma County, California. Martin Ray 2003 Sonoma Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is aged for 30 months in new French oak barrels. This hearty, bold Cabernet has a deep garnet hue with rich aromas of black cherries, luscious chocolate and an underlying whisper of black currant. The rich, concentrated flavors include abundant layers of ripe cherries and black currants covered in vanilla cream, leading to a long, full finish. Enjoy the Sonoma Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon with grilled steak topped by your favorite spices or sauteed lamb chops and squash. Bryan Davison of Martin Ray purchased the fruit for this wine from the Van der Kamp Vineyard, 1,400 feet up Sonoma Mountain on a northwest-facing slope. (He also blended in a small amount of fruit from Eaglepoint Ranch in Mendocino.) The soils range from red volcanic loam at the top of the vineyard to clay farther down, producing a remarkably delicate cabernet with mineral complexity. Dark flavors of woodland berries weave into the ferrous tannin, feeling strong without any overt muscularity. It's beautiful from the moment the aroma hits, and the fruit impression lasts. It's alive. -Wine & Spirits

Red Wine by Groth from Napa Valley, California. The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon is big and lush with huge gobs of fruit in the aroma and flavor. The texture of the wine is soft and supple, typical of Cabernet Sauvignons grown in our area of the Oakville AVA. Patience during bottle aging will reward the steward with an outstanding bottle over the next 10 to 15 years. The Cabernet Sauvignon fruit is grown on our Estate controlled vineyards, in the Oakville AVA, in the heart of the Napa Valley. The Oakville District is renowned for its Cabernet Sauvignon and produces wines that are full, lush and very elegant. Menu suggestion: A slab and a Cab, Dennis Groth recommends you drink his Cabernet Sauvignon with steak.

Red Wine by Stag's Leap Wine Cellars from Napa Valley, California. A perennial favorite on restaurant wine lists, Artemis is generous in flavor and velvety in texture. Aromas of cassis and caramel rise and give way to earthy notes of black olive, black pepper, and truffles. Classic flavors of cassis and black cherry fill the mouth as notes of violets and vanilla linger on the finish. Enjoy this wine with braised short ribs on a cold winter's night or with a porcini and gorgonzola burger for you gourmet grillers.

Red Wine by Laurel Glen from Sonoma County, California. The 2003 vintage has more in common with the subtle and complex 1996 and 1999 vintages, than with its more up-front 1994 and 2002 stable mates. It is typically dark, with a dense core; very perfumed with lovely briar, dark berry, and sandalwood aromas. On the palate, it is rich and voluptuous without being cloying or obvious, and reveals itself slowly. Decanting is recommended.