Saturday, August 13, 2011

Chappellet Mountain Cuvee 2008, Napa Valley

The Chappellet Mountain Cuvee 2008 is a vibrant wine that was a wonderful addition to a recent meal at the Four Seasons Hotel in St. Louis. I attended the special dinner, hosted by Conference Direct, after a short walk from my hotel near Busch Stadium. It was a hot and sticky evening, but a pleasant walk along the Mississippi.

Our table was next to floor to ceiling windows that afforded a spectacular view of the surging river and a view of one of the many bridges that crosses it.We enjoyed scrumptious appetizers by the outstanding culinary staff at the Four Seasons.

The meal included a chilled gazpacho and a crisp micro green salad with goat cheese. For the entree we were treated to a perfectly prepared herb seasoned filet with Yukon Gold potatoes. The Mountain Cuvee was the perfect pairing.

This is a Bordeaux blend with 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% each of Malbec and Cabernet Franc. The nose hints that you are in for a rich treat. The approach is silky smooth and the palate is an abundance of black cherry and rush of rich fruit.

The finish really hangs on. It’s like LeBron James elevating for a thunderous, slow motion dunk and dangling on the rim. This is a magnificent example of California winemaking. ****

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