At the table with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Grilled pepper entrecôte, herb-crusted rack of lamb, tournedos Rossini, duck breast with blackberries, farmhouse Saint-Nectaire.
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Let's talk little, let's talk wine
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021Chateau Montelena
This cuvée is made by a historic estate in Calistoga, in the north of the Napa Valley, in California, at the foot of Mount Saint Helena. This valley with its Mediterranean climate, tempered by breezes from San Pablo Bay, offers Cabernet Sauvignon sunny days and cool nights. The 2021 vintage was marked by a dry, hot season with little rain: the lower yields produced rare and particularly concentrated wines.
The grapes are destemmed and crushed with modern equipment, then ferment slowly and steadily in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks. The wine, blended with Merlot and a touch of Cabernet Franc, is then aged for 14 months in French and Eastern European oak barrels, 16% of them new, so that the oak supports the fruit without dominating it.
This wine reveals notes of blueberry, blackcurrant, cherry, raspberry, spiced oak, chilli, sage and cedar. The blue and red fruit shows great concentration, lifted by spices and a herbaceous touch. The dense, balanced palate rests on firm, silky tannins and a long finish, the promise of fine ageing in the cellar.
All about Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
At what temperature should Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 be served?
Between 16 and 18 °C. An hour in a decanter helps it open up.
How long can Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 be kept?
Ageing potential: 10 years or more, until at least 2031. Store the bottle lying down, away from light, at around 12 °C.
Which grapes make up Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021?
Grapes: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc. Origin: California, United States. Alcohol: 13.8%.
What to serve with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021?
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 pairs well with lamb, beef and hard cheese. Our dish ideas are in the food pairing box at the top of the page.
Where are we traveling?
Napa ValleyUnited States
It lies an hour's drive north of San Francisco, nestled between the Vaca Mountains to the east and the Mayacamas to the west, forming a narrow valley barely 50 kilometres long. The vineyards stretch from the cool, foggy south near the marshes of San Pablo Bay to the hot, enclosed north around the small town of Calistoga, passing through the legendary villages of Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena. The valley's winegrowing history began in the 1830s with George Yount, but it was the Judgement of Paris in 1976 that propelled Napa onto the world stage, when a Chardonnay from Chateau Montelena and a Cabernet Sauvignon from Stag's Leap Wine Cellars outscored the greatest French crus in a blind tasting. The climate is Mediterranean, hot and dry in summer, tempered by morning fogs that roll in from the bay and sweep up the valley, giving the grapes the cool nights essential to their balance. The diversity of soils is remarkable, from the alluvial deposits of the valley floor to the volcanic rocks of the hillsides, with no fewer than sixteen distinct sub-appellations. Napa Valley has become the world benchmark for Cabernet Sauvignon thanks to opulent, concentrated wines of exceptional longevity, complemented by full, generous Chardonnay, silky Merlot and a handful of Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel that bear witness to the richness of a terroir that has become legendary.
The little history of the country
United States
In the United States, 90% of the wine produced comes from California. It was the influx of gold prospectors to California that boosted the California wine industry in the mid-19th century, particularly in the Sonoma and Napa region. At the start of the 20th century, there were 800 wineries. From 1919 to 1933 Prohibition destroyed the vast majority of the California wine industry so that by 1933, only 140 wineries remained producing wine. It was only from 1960 that the wine industry began to recover from Prohibition and California was primarily known for the production of fortified wines (in the style of Port). It was also in the 1960s that some of the most famous estates were created (Mondavi, Heitz Wine Cellars, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, etc...).
In 1976, a significant event took place: the legendary tasting competition better known as the "Judgment of Paris". He sees the greatest French wines opposing the new American wines. This May 24, an unexpected result shakes the world of wine, since to everyone's surprise, it is the United States which wins. However, this competition remains relatively unknown to the general public.
Today, there is no doubt that the United States produces great wines. Even though California largely monopolizes the reputation of American wines with its excellent Zinfandels, the state of Oregon produces some of the best Pinot Noir in the world and the state of Washington offers excellent Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet-Sauvignon.