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Women take Valentine's Day seriously. They expect a little extra love on February 14, and wine can play a major role. Champagne is the obvious vehicle for seduction -- maybe too obvious. A good red wine is sexier, earthier and, well, redder -- like a heart. Do not experiment unless you know what you're doing: Zinfandels may be too peppery; pinot noirs too trendy. Stick with cabernet sauvignon, the stuff that makes Bordeaux beautiful and the most widely planted grape in California, if not the world.
But which one to choose? The 2003 vintage has turned out to be better than expected. In a blind taste test of many California cabs from that year, three stood out: Chateau Souverain, Mount St. Helena and Owl Ridge. Mount St. Helena, from Napa Valley, was the first crowd-pleaser. It got enthusiastic "yum" and "tangy" accolades. Made of 85 percent cabernet sauvignon, 11 percent merlot and five percent cab franc, the wine has many common New World cab-like traits: oak, tobacco, cassis and mint. If there's a flaw, it's that some tasters might find it slightly thin.
Chateau Souverain (which recently dropped the Chateau part of the name) is made from grapes grown on 120 acres in Sonoma County's Alexander Valley. The wine is 84 percent cab, 12 percent merlot, three percent syrah and one percent petite syrah. The wine is aged in oak for 22 months. Despite this mellowing process, you can still detect strong tannins, an earthy nose, salty-tart flavors, black cherry, plum and vanilla, and a dry somewhat puckering finish.
The Owl Ridge, from Brigden Vineyard, took top honors. Judges thought the 100 percent cab wine from the Mayacamas Mountains of Sonoma County showed unusual elegance and finesse. With a terrific balance of fruit and tannins, the Owl Ridge is a big success for vineyard owner Mick Brigden, who's had similar hits in the music biz as former manager for Van Morrison and producer for world tours with the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan (Brigden now represents guitarist Joe Satriani). The bottle comes with an extra-long cork (54mm) for long-term cellaring. And what kind of gal doesn't want to see a big cork?
-- James Oliver Cury
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for Chateau Souverain
for Mount St. Helena
for Owl Ridge Brigden Vineyard