There’s a sentimental component to this wine, too: When I took my Master Sommelier exam in 2010, I spent the night before in the historic stone winery that once housed Terra Valentine. Once known as the Yverdon Winery, the impressive, castle-like structure was the home of Terra Valentine until 2013, when it was purchased by Jackson Family Wines (and turned into Lokoya’s sumptuous new home). Sam Baxter continues crafting Terra Valentine wines in another location, and the Wurteles still farm their namesake vineyard, a 30-acre plot originally planted in 1990 by the Raymond family. Planted exclusively to Cabernet Sauvignon, the vineyard wraps around a knoll and thus has a multitude of exposures, with altitudes ranging from 600-1,000 feet and soils composed primarily of volcanic material. Baxter typically sources his Wurtele fruit from a higher-elevation, north-facing slope, lending this wine a muscular tannic structure in its youth. 

More than a decade later, there’s still a lot of power to this 2006, but the sharp edges are gone to reveal a palate-coating red that has taken on a profound level of savor in its middle age. Crafted from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 50% new French oak, there’s little doubt that this is a mountain wine from Napa. In the glass, it is an opaque ruby-black moving to garnet at the rim, with an explosive nose of blueberry pie, cassis, black cherry, cocoa powder, tobacco, and crushed rocks, damp, loamy soil. It is full-bodied but not overpoweringly so, and while it is likely to continue improving over the next five years, I see no reason to wait—the whole point of this offer is to get a well-aged Cabernet on the table tonight! The excellent balance of ripe fruit and savory earth will make this an especially good food wine—another point of distinction in a category full of overly sweet fruit bombs. Decant this wine slowly, over a candle (or your iPhone flashlight) to capture any sediment in the shoulder of the bottle. Serve it after 15-30 minutes or so in Bordeaux stems at 60-65 degrees (keep it a little cooler to minimize any alcohol heat). When I tasted this wine I immediately thought of short ribs, and of getting a char on said short ribs on a hot grill. The attached recipe looks like a winner for this heritage Napa Cabernet. Enjoy the combination!