1998 Cedar Mountain Winery Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Mission Codename: The Time Capsule

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Secure a 10 year old Cabernet Sauvignon – by whatever means necessary!

Mission Status: Accomplished

Current Winery: Cedar Mountain Winery

Wine Subject: 1998 Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker: Earl Ault

Backgrounder: Our Operatives have been inundating us with requests for a 10 year-old Cabernet Sauvignon. Such a request could prove tricky for a normal wine organization, but not for The Wine Spies. Utilizing our network of assets we were able to come up locate a great Livermore Valley winery called Cedar Mountain, which is surrounded by its 14 acres of estate vineyards. Read Agent Red’s tasting notes and mission report below to see how he was able to procure a few cases for our Operatives. Not an Operative yet? Sign up for free today!

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Dark garnet in color, showing its age a little, with a very springy surface that settles to still very quickly, color right out to the edges and long, thin legs that slowly creep down the glass

Smell – Deeply concentrated aromas of earthen plum, dark berry, tobacco leaf, soft leather, cedar and tar

Feel – Soft and balanced with a roundness up-front, followed by a cool-and-fast feeling across the mid-palate, where soft tannins take gentle hold

Taste – Richly extracted flavors the echo the nose, with oak and sweewood added just under the surface

Finish – Rich, delicious and long, with a mild dryness and sweet oak and smoky plum flavors that linger

Conclusion – If stored properly, Cabernet Sauvignon lends itself to long bottle aging. A ten year-old like this Estate Cab from Cedar Mountain could still be considered somewhat young by some collectors. If you have never had the patience to cellar a wine for 10 years, now is your chance to taste a great wine – without breaking the bank. This wine may not have even reached its peak, but I say that it is drinking beautifully right now. You’ll find a softness in this wine, but still plenty of concentrated aromas and dark, dusky flavors. This wine gets a big Wine Spies recommendation.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Cedar Mountain Estate vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.