Corkscrewed

The 2006 Hill Family Cabernet Sauvignon

By Bob on March 3, 2011 7:03 AM

The folks at Hill Family Estate Wines (no relation, but c'mon you guys really need a 55-year-old son don't you?) released their 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon recently and sent me a bottle to sample. Charlotte and I love cabernets and the bigger and bolder - the better.

The 2006 Hill Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon passed the Texas test with flying colors. Since we're officially in the winter-that-won't-die, Charlotte picked up some spicy pork tamales from Tommy Tamales the other day. We paired the 2006 Cab with the tamale main course one frosty evening and gave this delicious red a run for its money.

 

Winemaker Notes

According to winemakers Doug Hill and Alison Doran, the 2006 Hill Family Cabernet Sauvignon combines the best of the Hill Family's Beau Terre Vineyard in the Oak Knoll District, with its plush black cherry boysenberry fruit, and the Atlas Peak Cabernet, with its finesse and tannic structure and hints of sage and native brambly character. 

 

Nose: Elegant blackberry and black cherry with wild sage notes which come from the Atlas Peak Mountain area.

 

Palate: Still young and lively up front, with long deep flavors of black cherry and cassis that are developing nicely. A hint of sage and cedar give it elegance and there is just enough mountain tannin to be savory and structured.

 

What I Like About It

The 2006 Hill Family Estate Cabernet had a rich, dusty flavor that's dense but very approachable. Nice plumy finish with notes of black pepper and tobacco.

 

What I Ate With It

A plate of spicy pork tamales from Tommy Tamale. This wine would pair well with Tim Love's grilled beef skirt steak, chops or even a bowl of Charlotte's famous tortilla soup.

 

Where I Got It

From my good friends at the Hill Family Estate Winery in beautiful Napa Valley, CA.

 

FIVE CORKS

Corkscrewed Rating

Wines are rated on a scale of one-five corks. A one-cork wine is good for killing fire ants; five-cork wines are reserved for sharing with your very best friends or drinking whenever you have a good day.

 

About Me

I've been a wine lover since about 12 (that's not a typo). My earliest grape experience was probably at my cousin Nancy's wine tasting wedding rehearsal dinner (thanks for including me, Cuz!). Since then, I've graduated from Boone's Farm (Ugh! What was I thinking?) to a slightly more sophisticated palate. By the time I reached college I was the only guy in the dorm with a dog-eared copy of Frank Schoonmaker's, Encyclopedia of Wine (Hasting's House, 1965). Today, my tastes run more toward the reds, but I'm always on the lookout for great white wine to pair with fish or fowl.

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