2004 Levendi Winery Sweetwater Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon

Mission Codename: The Wine Gods have smiled upon us

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Our Operatives demand another great 2004 California Cabernet Sauvignon. Send Agent Red to Napa Valley to investigate claims that Levendi Winery has crafted an ‘04 Cab that beats wines at twice the price. If verified, procure a suitable quantity for our Operatives to enjoy

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Levendi Winery

Wine Subject: 2004 Sweetwater Cabernet Sauvignon – Napa Valley

Winemakers: Alison Doran

Backgrounder: The Wine Spies have had the great fortune to bring you some of the finest wines available anywhere. Of particular note are the handful of stellar 2004 California Cabernet Sauvignons featured here in recent months. If 2004 was a great year for Cali Cabs, then 2004 was an especially great year for those born in California’s Napa Valley. Today we send Agent Red, this agency’s red wine expert, to Levendi Winery, where he discovers today’s remarkable Cab. Read his tasting notes and mission report below for a complete profile of today’s wine.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deeply concentrated ruby red to deep garnet at its core, this wine maintains great depth of color right out to its edges. On swirling, the wine looks deep, but not murky. Its tight surface and fat, tightly-packed legs contribute to the wines distinctive looks

Smell – On opening, the wine presented unique and very strong (and very pleasant) aromatics of dried sweet flowers, fresh cut bamboo with cherry syrup and sweet chocolate. After a few hours in the air and the aromas are nearly completely different! After it airs out the aromas change to become more soft, exhibiting fresh blueberry, gourmet chocolate, dusky currant and ripe red cherry – with a hint of fresh sweet flowers

Feel – Cool and light at first, the wine slides across the front palate then becomes richly mouth-coating with wonderful medium tannins

Taste – Delicious and smoky with big fruit of cherry, blueberry, cassis and dark plum with dark chocolate and a hint of toasty oak at the end

Finish – Begins bright, sweet and fruity, then is followed by a delicious tartness and flavors that tail off slowly with a velvety chocolate dryness

Conclusion – I actually find myself at a loss for words. Those of you that know me probably find this unlikely. This is an incredible wine that perfectly illustrates the best of what the Napa Valley and the 2004 vintage have to offer fans of fine wines. The only surprise here is that the wine is not more expensive, easily holding it own against the $100 cabs I enjoyed earlier in the week. Even without the lower price, I declare this wine distinctly more enjoyable. If you love Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, you must try this fantastic example from Levendi.

Mission Report:

“Awake, Mortal!”, the voice thundered.

I shot up from my slumber – and promptly banged my head… on the ceiling? I looked around. Outside a window the countryside streaked past.

I remembered that I was on a train, traveling from Montenegro where I had taken some R & R time – to Greece, where I would be doing some deep background research on the origins of wine.

Looking at my watch I realized that I still had a few hours before I reached my destination. As I lay my head back down on my pillow, a voice bellowed, “You dare to sleep in my presence, Mortal?!”

My eye snapped open and, to my horror, I found that I was no longer on the train. Instead, I seemed to be in a huge atrium that was surrounded by pillars. In the center, a large figure sat atop what appeared to be a throne.

A deep laugh thundered from the man and then, “Fetch me a fresh amphora and come here, Mortal, my thirst is strong this day! Ariadne is in her chambers pining for Naxos, and Ikarios is busy tending the vines and arguing with shepherds again, leaving me unattended!”

From my research into ancient Greece and Greek mythology, this thundering figure could only be Dionysos, the Greek God of wine and fertility. How did I get here? Was I dreaming?

Playing along, I grabbed up a amphora of wine. He smiled warmly at me and took the amphora in one mighty hand. He lowered his nose into the mouth of the amphora and inhaled deeply. Smiling, he said, “Mortal, I have taught you well! You even put poor Ikarios to shame with your toil. Your wine making skills are nearly perfected. Perhaps I will grant you immortality after all.”

With this, he raised the amphora to me and shouted the word, “LEVENDI!”

Back in my train cabin, I blink the sleep away as the word echos in my mind. Levendi, Levendi. The word is familiar somehow… I quickly pullout my spy communicator and speak the word into its tiny microphone. An instant later, after completing its satellite connection to our W.I.N.E. (Wine Internet Nexux Engine) databases at Central Command, I am presented with these results:

1) A traditional Greek toast, “Levendi” acknowledges a hard day’s labor and achievement

2) A fine winery in California’s Napa Valley

Of course! Increasingly I had been receiving intel on Levendi Winery from my informants. Then and there, I decided to cut my trip short – and rush to taste Levendi’s wines!

See my tasting notes above…

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Sweetwater Ranch Vineyard, where today’s Cabernet Sauvignon was grown, can be seen in this satellite photo.