I was in the wine shop milling about the other day. Basically, I was just exploring to see if anything different would jump off the shelf and surprise me. Then it happened. This Cabernet Sauvignon from Idaho was just sitting there waiting for me. It’s not often that I come across Idahoan wines in Cincinnati, so I had to pick it up and give it a shot.
The wine is from Ste Chapelle winery in Caldwell, in the Snake River Valley of Idaho. The winery is run by Chuck Devlin and is the oldest and largest winery in the state.
While I wasn’t previously familiar with Idaho wines, it turns out that the warm days and cool evenings in the Snake River Valley are perfect for producing Cabernet Sauvignon.
I really enjoyed this wine, particularly at the affordable price of $8.99. The bouquet is very floral with hints of red raspberry, olive and a slight smokiness. The nose is my favorite part of this wine. The palate features plums, currants and raspberries. A medium length, smooth finish caps this one off. I gave it an 87 and give a thumbs up to Idaho.
Wine: Ste. Chapelle
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2001
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 87
Price Paid: $8.99