This week’s heist features an interesting Cabernet from Napa’s Spring Mountain Vineyards. While we are often pushing mountain Cabernet for its elegance here at WineHeist, here is our chance to show that for every rule, there is an exception. While many of the mountains surrounding Napa Valley (and throughout California) are known for lighter, more European-style wines, Spring Mountain is actually known for producing intense, rich wines. Whether this is due to the soil, the climate, or a combination of the two we don’t know, but the result is ripe, intense Cabernet that still possesses the balance, if not the finesse, of its mountain heritage.
Spring Mountain’s 2005 Estate Cabernet is sourced from a variety of vineyard blocks on Spring Mountain, allowing the winemaker to select the perfect blend. Dark red, nearly purple color in the glass foreshadows the big, dark, ripe flavors to follow. Aromas of blackberry, black cherry, and dark chocolate spring from the glass, with undercurrents of leather and cedar. The palate echoes the black cherry, with notes of violets and a finish that coats the mouth like rich chocolate truffle. A dose of mountain acidity keeps these ripe, rich flavors balanced, evoking a hint of sweet red fruit to lighten the mood. Wonderfully smooth and silky, this has Napa Cabernet written all over it.
We are excited to have found another excellent Napa Cabernet that we can offer at a significant discount and bring to you at just over $40. This Spring Mountain Cab is sure to be a hit at any dinner party, and is the perfect choice when you want a wine sure to make an impression. Serve it on its own, or with full flavored meat. Stunning wine, from a stunning property!
95 Points
Aromas of wild berries, black fig and ripe dark fruits are intertwined with hints of fresh mountain herbs, mineral, leather, savory spices, and cigar box. On the palate, the rich fruit flavors of dark cherry, ripe plum, blackberry, red currants and cassis are layered with notes of wild sage, dark chocolate truffle, cinnamon, clove, and a kiss of oak.
94 Points
Opens up with an aromatic burst of black cherry jam, wild huckleberry, and a hint of crushed espresso bean. On the palate, the fruit is lush and primary, but it's the secondary notes—toasted nutmeg, dark chocolate truffle, and the signature 'Dry Creek Dust'—that provide a long, savory finish.
