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!
94 Points
Decadent, rich, and supple. Aromas of black cherry, dark chocolate, crushed stone, dried herbs, and cedar lead into layered notes of cassis, fennel, baked plums, mocha powder, and cigars dusted with roasted Herbs de Provence, earth and red volcanic mineral notes. Full-bodied and rich, with a firm spine of racy acidity and ultra-fine, gravelly tannins that carry the lasting, mouthwatering finish.
93 Points
Aromas of blackcurrant, dark plum, and cedar unfold alongside soft notes of vanilla and toasted oak. On the palate, structured tannins frame layers of black cherry, baking spice, and a subtle herbal lift from the Merlot blended beneath the Cabernet's backbone. Medium-bodied gem with good concentration finishing long and warm, with lingering impressions of cocoa and dried fig.
94 Points
A full-throttle, blackberry-driven red, laden with chalky minerality and layered with robust tannins. Violet scents mingle with fig and plum fruit in a medium- to full-bodied expression that hits all the right chords, delivering a pleasing one-two punch to the senses.
