It’s been awhile since I‘ve done one of my one-bottle posts. This time I was motivated as rating this wine tied into the new Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting venture I’ve created with my business partner Michael Perlis, and another winery, a new winery we happened to be working with.
This is when you ask, “Why? What’s the tie in between a wine review for one winery and another winery’s launch?”
Building Your Branding
At the same time that I received an email from Mira Winery (www.MiraNapa.com) offering me a bottle of their Napa Cab before its release so I could do a review – I was working with a winery client on getting their website and social networks all up to speed before their first wine is launched.
I forwarded Mira’s email to my winery client. I explained that here was a winery that wanted some reviews of their wine on the internet before the wine was released to the public. Why? Because when you Google the winery you will find reviews other places than the winery’s own website. And, the public might find the reviews – especially if the writer also social networks them like we do – and so the branding is magically being built.
Lets see if the plan worked.
Tasting Notes
Appearance
On outward observation alone the 2010 Napa Valley Mira Cabernet Sauvignon had one of those deep punts at the bottom that I like, a classy no-nonsense label and 14.5% alcohol. Once poured I noted that the color was dark purple and very opaque.
Aroma
From an inch away I could smell the robust plums, then I went in a little closer and got blackberry, Fig Newtons, black licorice, cracked black pepper, black olives, smoke and suede.
Flavor
Plum, black cherry, blackberry jam, dark chocolate, espresso beans, slightly minty and all with a nice tannin structure holding it together.
Conclusion, AKA Score
Very long finish. Thought this will go will with roasted meat, steaks, pasta, grilled sausages. It might be tough to have without food for people that prefer more berry fruit. I happen to like tannic wines, with or without food. If I had to score this wine, and I’m against scoring but most peeps just want a number, I’d give it a 90.
From the Winery
We at Mira Winery are excited to soon be releasing our 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon to the public! However, before we do we want to invite you to sample this luscious blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Syrah to see what you think and hopefully share your opinion! Of course it’s 100% Napa Valley.
As with our entire portfolio of wines, our 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon is crafted by our Winemaker Gustavo Gonzalez who was the head red winemaker for Robert Mondavi before leaving to lead Mira. Over a 20 year career he has worked with some of the most acclaimed winemakers around the world and is one of the few to produce 100 point rated wine. You can learn more about Mira at www.miranapa.com.
The first bottle is a white wine from 2004. He makes only two wines, one red, one white. The white, 100% Chenin. Six years in barrel before bottling, then, in the case of this wine, four more years before release. Robert asks about skin contact (Xavier speaks no English, I translate as best as I can). No skin contact. We discuss the press regime and fermentation for 30 minutes. In great detail. He uses an old champagne press with a capacity of about 500 liters– very small, and exactly the same capacity as our presses at Tenbrink. A typical day during the white harvest has the following rhythm: wake up, harvest as much fruit as the press will hold, bring it back to the winery (“where do you do the work?” I ask, pointing to the overgrown yard and the complete absence of what we would call a crush pad. “Where you can,” he says with a smile). Load the press. Begin pressing. Go past midnight. Adjust the pressure. Assess. If all seems good, go home. Sleep, wake, return to the winery, release the pressure, break up the grapes (“Whole cluster?” “Yes. We do not crush or destem anything”), re-apply pressure, go harvest fruit, return, unload the press, begin the cycle again. They work with about 3 vineyards typically but make 3-4 passes in each vineyard. There could be a dozen days of pressing; sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. They break up the cake of compressed grapes only once and gently. He wants as little friction and trituration as possible. There is no breaking up of the fruit on the way into the press or in the press as we do (“makes the fermentation too fast,” he explains. “Oh yes, how fast? What counts as a rapid fermentation for you?” “Three weeks.” Ah, that is rapid. What is the optimal time for you?” “A few months . . . . A year.” “Ah yes, we call those ‘French Fermentations.'” He smiles.)
Not one to turn down a bottle, err, I mean an opportunity to try a new bottle of wine, I readily agreed to the tasting. (If you want to try them they have a tasting room open to the public Thursday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6 p.m.: 3045 90th Street West, Rosamond, CA, 93560, 661-256-6203.)
2011 Pinot Noir
What I Learned 
The DBICC also awarded Best of Class medals in the following categories: