Honestly, I don’t drink a lot of Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon. It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s that it’s often priced at a point that’s beyond what I want to pay for a bottle of wine. For most good Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon you’re looking at $50+ a bottle and if that’s what you typically spend on wine you’re reading the wrong website. I’m all about great value and that can be challenging to find from a renowned region like Napa Valley.
But here I have come across one of those rare gems. An affordably-priced and delicious Napa Valley cabernet.
This wine was produced by Matt Parish, who was previously a winemaker for Treasury Estates where he made wine for Stags’ Leap, Beringer, Chateau St Jean and others. I’ve tasted cabernet sauvignon from all of those labels and I can attest they are stellar. But they are also quite pricey.
Parish is now Chief Winemaker at NakedWines.com, which is where he produced this one. The idea behind Naked Wines is that wines are “angel funded” by Naked Wine’s “angels” — which is essentially a consumer subscriber who deposits $40 per month into their Naked Wines account, which they spend on wine. It’s different from many of the wine clubs out there where subscribers get random bottles sent to them each month. Naked Wine Angels get to choose which wines they receive and when they get those wines.
The result in this case is a stellar cabernet sauvignon at a much better price than most. The normal price for this wine is $26.99, still slightly above my target price but Angels can buy the wine for $15.99, a super deal for a wine of this caliber.
The nose has good depth and pleasant aromas such as black licorice, black currant, cherry, tobacco and fruitcake. It’s quite juicy on the palate, delivering big cherry, plum and blackberry flavors up front, followed by some dark chocolate. There’s a good density to the mouthfeel and the acidity is mouth-watering. It finishes with dusty blackberry flavors lingering for quite some time.
Wine: Matt Parish Cabernet Sauvignon
Varieties: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2015
Alcohol: 13%
Rating: 90
Price: $15.99 for NakedWines.com Angels, $26.99 for non-Angels
Disclosure: This wine was provided as a media sample.
