Want to know how to make Wednesdays a lot better? Just grill a big thick steak out on the barbie, throw in a fresh green salad, and add a quality bottle of Napa Cab, and you will forget that it is still the middle of the week! A good choice for your mid-week feast would be a bottle of the 2012 Franciscan Estate Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. I reviewed the 2011 vintage, and this one, though a little different, is still a mighty tasty Cab.
The Franciscan is a dark purple in hue, with good clarity, and the nose features the strong aroma of black cherry, which leads to an abundance of rich dark fruit, supported by a good balance between fruit and acidity. The fruit flavors showcase the black cherry, with a strong contrast of plum, and subtle hints of cassis and vanilla. The finish is long and lingering with a subtle background of mild oak. The alcohol content is an almost perfect 13.5%.
We paired this Cab with a thick medium rare fillet, accompanied by planks of grilled zucchini, and a fresh avocado and tomato salad on a bed of baby spring mixed greens, which was the right combination to forget the hump-day blahs. This is a solid Napa Cab, and would be great with an array of dishes ranging from linguine bolognaise to grilled venison. Norm’s score is 89.
Score: 89
Price: $19 – $25
By: Norm Bentley
North Georgia Wine Advisor
normwine@bellsouth.net
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