As is always the case when Pete opens a bottle of wine, he pours me a glass of wine without showing me the bottle and makes me guess the varietal. It’s a fun little routine and forces me to think a bit more critically about what I’m drinking. When I tasted this wine I narrowed my choices to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. I decided it was Cabernet because the nose was slightly vegetal.
The 2004 Hewitt Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon has a dark ruby color. Fruit forward nose with a slight vegetal scents, and licorice. The flavors taste of dark ripe fruit, black pepper with complex layers of flavor and a burst of cedar. Tannins are significant with good acid. The finish is long with fruit and cedar. If I had to describe this wine with only one word it would be … Luscious!
Update: In December 2012 we tasted this Cabernet again. The color has become garnet, but still has a bit of youthful ruby left. The nose is less vegetal and dominated by dark fruit. Cedar and complex dark fruit flavors with significant chalky tannins provide a long finish with both flavor and tannins. Luscious is still the word!
