Opening a bottle of the 2011 Groth Oakville Cab is like letting the Genie out of the bottle, as soon as you pull the cork, it is like you have been magically transported to the briar patch. Immediately the room is filled with the aroma of blackberries and cherries, which grabs you by the nose and pulls you toward the glass anticipating your first sip. I love Napa Valley Cab with steak, and after reading these comments from “The Wine Enthusiast, I couldn’t wait. “Soft layers of blackberry, cedar and tannin are offered in this lean, lush red. The winery owner says it pairs well with steak, or as he puts it, a slab and a Cab.”
So the “Chardonnay Queen” and I went out and got ourselves a two inch thick, one and a half pound rib-eye, big enough for two, and slapped that “slab” on the grill, and burnt it on the outside, leaving the middle nice and pink, and got down to the business of enjoying a “Slab and a Cab”. Thank you, Dennis Groth. After the initial rush to the senses of the berry bouquet, the wine opens with a basket full of fruit flavors, dominated by black cherry and blackberry. This is a slightly soft, but elegant Cab, with subtle hints of vanilla oak imparted by its twenty two months in the barrel. The finish is long and lingering with mild tannin, and of course, it begs for another sip. Norm’s score is 93.
The Groth Oakville Cabernet would pair well with a variety of foods, but in agreement with Dennis Groth, I’ve got to say that nothing beats a “Slab with a Cab.”
Score: 93
Price: $ 40 – $50
By: Norm Bentley
North Georgia Wine Advisor
normwine@bellsouth.net
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