Cakebread Cellars - Dancing Bear Ranch 2011 (750ml)

Over 39 years ago, Jack Cakebread came to photograph the Napa Valley for a book and while there, he casually mentioned his interest in one day owning a vineyard to some family friends who had a ranch in Rutherford. When he returned home that afternoon, the phone rang and it was the family friends offering to sell their property. He headed back up to the valley that same afternoon to make his best offer, and Cakebread Cellars was born. Dedication to making the highest quality wines and a commitment to family has followed a continuum as their first small vineyard has grown into a thriving internationally distributed wine company. The Dancing Bear Ranch on Howell Mountain in eastern Napa Valley, perched at an elevation between 1,800 and 2,200 feet, is named for the omnivorous black bear who likes to feast on our mountain grapes as they approach ripeness. Fortunately, as the bear dances down the vine rows munching grape clusters, he leaves enough behind for them to craft this classic Napa Valley mountain red. The 2007 Dancing Bear displays the intriguing dance of intensity and elegance that has become this mountain wine's trademark. 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc. High-toned aromas of freshly crushed boysenberries, dark cherries and forest-floor spice (imagine walking in a pine forest after a light summer rainfall) introduce a big, dense, tightly-wound palate packed with marvelously rich and concentrated black cherry, boysenberry and blackberry flavors, which are enhanced by savory clove, cocoa and vanilla tones.