SLO LIFE Magazine Feb/Mar 2019

Edna Valley Winery // Meritage 2015 // $40
Cabernet Sauvignon tastes great on its own and also plays
together well with other grape types. Have you ever seen the word
“Meritage?” Look for it when you are shopping because it means
that a winemaker was having even more fun than usual. You can
almost substitute the word Meritage for “mixture” or “blend”
because it means that it will consist of two or more red grape
varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot,
among others. Why these grapes in particular? They are the grapes
that have been blended in the Bordeaux region of France for so
many years to enhance the flavors of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Edna Valley Winery has a great example of Meritage right here on
the Central Coast. The first taste conjures a bing cherry, as well as
a slight hint of raspberry and blueberry. Though it’s easy to get a
“hot mouth”—the burning sensation that sometimes accompanies
alcohol of deep red wines—it will not happen here. Instead, you get
the pleasure of a smooth, velvety texture. It has such an elegant taste
that it could be paired with a meaty braised short rib, or on its own
as you linger late into the night with a special group of pals.
Even without wine critics to tell us how great the Cabs are, we
can simply taste it for ourselves. The recognition for all of the hard
work that our region has done in the last 15 to 20 years in wine is
lovely indeed. The upcoming 2016 vintage (remember, these wines
take a couple of years to debut) in Cabernet Sauvignon is already
creating quite a buzz, so keep your eyes and taste buds ready for
more exquisite, homegrown deep red Cabs in your future.
Ancient Peaks // Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 // $18
Early picked Cab can taste faintly of green vegetables: asparagus
or green bell pepper. Picked too late and it can carry the flavor of
a heavy, jammy fruit explosion. A mid-range Cabernet Sauvignon
should taste velvety and smooth with flavor colors of brick red and
deep blue, reminiscent of late harvest dark cherries, blackberries,
and blueberries. You may even detect some different spices, such as
cedar, and sometimes vanilla.
Ancient Peaks is as impressive in taste as it is in price. Cabs are
known for being expensive, so enjoy this one on a weeknight in
with a grilled eggplant dish or a robust stew. No question here,
you don’t have to wait for a fancier occasion—be here now, in the
moment. Savor the lasting echoes of blackberries with this Cab
along with some faint, woody tones of a distant campfire. SLO LIFE
86 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | FEB/MAR 2019