Save this velvety, crowd-pleasing Cab for summer barbecues with the parents. There’s a spicy quality to the nose that begs for food touched by smoky charcoal and a healthy hit of black pepper. Waves of quince, purple plum, cinnamon, and hints of vanilla wash over the palate to smooth out the spice and any awkward family conversations at once.
This is the rare Cab that feels both fresh and classic, with earthy notes of tobacco and leather lingering long after the last sip.
GOOD FOR —
Impressing your father-in-law.
Summer steak dinners.
Cool nights by the fire.
Chocolate that’s just a little too dark and bitter.
• Vintage: 2016
• Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon from Aasha Wines Estate Vineyard
• Appellation: Okanagan Valley Region, Naramata Bench
• ABV: 14.1%
• Acidity: 5.80 g/l tartaric acid
• pH: 3.75
• Vinification: Extended maceration, 15 months in French oak barrels. 60% new oak.
• Recommended Drinking: Now through 2030.
Open the bottle, and throw it in the fridge for 15 minutes. Pour a glass and enjoy. If you want to get fancy, you can decant this one for 20-30 minutes as well.
THE STORY BEHIND THE WINE
CURIOUS GLANCE
7 p.m. felt like midnight, but I mustered the courage to go out. Winters in the city were cold and salty. At that small, cozy bar, life could almost feel normal.
A warm table, filled with friends and strangers. I didn’t expect to see you. You caught my eye while I hid from hers. Barely there for an hour, but I needed a way out. I took a chance and whispered, “Help me leave, and I’ll show you something interesting.”
I took your hand. A dark place, a single candle, a bottle of wine. We wandered slowly through the cellar. Another curious glance. Our first kiss? Or was that a month ago.
“What time is it?” you asked. I looked at my watch stuck at exactly 12 a.m.