2008 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon
Community Tasting Note
JustBreathe680 Likes this wine:
Saturday, May 2, 2020 - Quarantine Review #9: On April 4, 2020, Will Segui, of Rivers Marie, said during a virtual tasting that the 2008 Napa Cab is one of his most memorable RM Cabs. The grapes that make up this wine are from Panek Vineyard and Corona Vineyard (approx. 50% from each). After hearing Will's praise and learning that this bottling was 50% from the Corona Vineyard, I figured this was a bottle I had to have in my collection, with the intent of minimal to no cellaring, and to be consumed while still under Shelter in Place due to the Coronavirus!
I found 1 bottle on Wine Searcher on April 4 after the virtual tasting at a reasonable price and had to buy it!
The wine was paired with a 40 day dry aged NY Strip but it does not need to be paired with food. I popped the cork and decanted for 1 hour. After 1 hour of air in a decanter, I poured it back into the bottle. The cork was in perfect shape and showed no age at all. The wine stain on the cork looked like a bottle from the 2018 vintage and not the 2008 vintage.
The color of the wine was a dark purple. The nose was starting to fade. The bouquet was more earth tones, with minimal fruit presence. However, there were some primary flavors still present. The fruit was predominantly dark/black (i.e. blackberries) but there was some red fruit present. There was a hint of sweetness from the alcohol, which was also present on the nose. There were some secondary flavors of earth and mineral. I did not detect any tertiary flavors.
The wine is full bodied and well balanced. The tannins have softened and smoothed out nicely. There was still good, medium, acid present.
I agree with many recent reviews. The wine appears to be at its peak and it is in a good place to pop the cork. The wine may stay at its peak for several more years but I don't see it significantly improving.
My rating is a 92-93.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (1,448 views)
