I had the distinct pleasure of dining with Bernard Magrez back in 2007 at Château Pape Clément. It was truly an eye-opening experience and one of the most entertaining evenings of my career. With a keen eye for excellence, Bernard accepts nothing but the best from everyone he employs, which has attracted some of the most extraordinary talent in the wine world today. After procuring some of the most iconic fruit in the Napa Valley, from St. Helena’s Dr. Crane Vineyard, his one-and-only California wine satisfies the most discerning lovers of cult Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. This parcel of the Dr. Crane Vineyard is comprised of vines rooted in volcanic, gravelly soil that is sustainably farmed, meticulously debudded and green harvested throughout the season, resulting in some of the most pristine fruit Napa has to offer. Manual hand harvesting is undertaken at night to ensure the ultra-premium grapes are kept an ideal, cool temperature.
When the wine reaches the cellar, it is placed in the talented and knowledgeable hands of winemaker, Benoit Touquette. A mentee of famous winemaking consultant, Michel Rolland, and a graduate of the University of Bordeaux’s enology and chemistry master’s program, Benoit culled his skills in the great cellars of Bordeaux’s châteaux and at South Africa’s Remhoogte Estate before landing in the Napa Valley. Since then, he has consulted for some of the most important producers in the appellation. For Bernard Magrez’s Cabernet Sauvignon, Benoit puts the fruit through cold maceration for five days, then undergoes alcoholic fermentation for thirty days. The wine is then transferred to barrel through gravity flow and aged on its lees for almost 2 years in 100% new French oak barrels. The resulting wine is a rich, harmonious and modern Cabernet Sauvignon.
The opaque, dark purple core with garnet and pink reflections on the meniscus whispers the immense concentration and flavor it will inevitably deliver on the palate. On the nose, ripe boysenberry, blackberry, black cherry and slightly dried purple plums give way to an array of complex aromas including dark chocolate, violet, wet leather, tobacco, vanilla bean, a touch of mushroom, a soy-like umami characteristic, star anise and exotic spices. The dense and impactful palate reveals mouth-coating joy, packed with seemingly endless layers of beautiful, ripe black fruit, wet fresh flowers, wild herbs, toasted oak and well-integrated tannins that unite to conclude in a fruit-filled finish that seems to linger endlessly. This is a wine to drink over the next 3-4 years, and in my personal opinion, rich and forward styles of Napa Valley Cabernet are best enjoyed at about 3-7 years of age before the fruit subsides. To enjoy now, I recommend decanting this wine for 30-60 minutes, and as with all wines over 14% alcohol, this should not be served too warm or the alcohol will dominate the aromatics. Ideally, this bottle should be served just above cellar temperature at roughly 60-65 degrees in large Bordeaux stems. If the wine approaches room temperature or gets a touch warm, simply place the decanter/bottle in the refrigerator for twenty minutes then serve. For a pairing that will stand up to the majesty of this wine, prepare a
simple steak au poivre and bask in sheer pleasure.
