Herb Lamb Vineyards

Winemaker Michael Trujillo says, “2011 gave us pretty wines as opposed to powerful, overwhelming wines. They are fresh, clean and complex with focused acidity and lower pH, but lots of varietal expression. It was a very challenging vintage - a winemaker’s vintage. But it’s a sleeper vintage that will definitely improve with aeration or a year or two in the bottle.”

The 2011 HL Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon is a restrained vintage in terms of ripeness and alcohol – more elegant and structured than overly powerful, with softer tannins, higher acids and great balance. On the nose, there are red fruit characters of dried cherry, currant and cranberry, with toasty, nutty and vanillin notes. In the mouth, the red fruits are predominant, featuring red and black cherry with notes of plum, tobacco, cinnamon and spice. Hints of vanilla and roasted coffee linger with cherry and cocoa. There is a good after taste, with fine oak integration. The wine finishes clean and bright with mocha and black cherry overtones.

A Cabernet Sauvignon this rich in Napa Valley history deserves to be paired properly with food to stand up to its elegant and bold flavors. Serve with decadent meat dishes like balsamic marinated rib eye steak, slow cooked braised short ribs or Châteaubriand. On the lighter side, but still hearty enough to stand up to such impressive Cabernet flavors, compliment the wine with Portabella mushroom truffle risotto, charred Gruyere bison burger or wild mushroom stroganoff. Whatever your food pairing pleasure, enjoy it slowly and savor every bite and sip.