Napa Valley, California
82 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 9 % Cabernet Franc, 6 % Merlot, 3 % Petit Verdot
61 % of the grapes came from the estate
Alcohol 14.1 %
Bought: 2015-09-17 at Safeway
Price (w/o TAX 8.25 %): $ 26.09 ($ 39.99)
Tasted: 2015-09-18 & 2015-09-19
Ratings: -
A Cab with a famous name: 2012 Clos Du Val Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Medium ruby red. Discrete aromas of sweet cherries, bacon, white pepper and a little bit leather. At the beginning fruity, but a little bit reduced. Then the tannins become more present, but not aggressive, more with a pretty acidity. Suddenly the sharpness of the white pepper takes the control and the spiciness comes to the foreground. Due to the more subtle smell and the unspectacular first point of contact on the palate this is surprising. Indeed the finish is the very best part of this more silent representative in this series. For the moment! Let's see if some air changes this.
Clos Du Val has a very good reputation. Also in Europe. And this is not only the case due to the famous 1976 Judgment of Paris Tasting. In this context it is remarkable that the 1972 Cab from Clos Du Val took the first place in the "rematch" organised 1986 by the French Culinary Institute. And indeed it is the Cab of Clos Du Val which is widely known. And this has of course something to do with the three estate vineyards which "include more than 30 different Cabernet Sauvignon blocks, with a variety of soil types and exposures, dozens of unique clone and rootstock combinations, and an array of vine ages." (www.closduval.com)
Seeing from this perspective the "first touch" with the 2012 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a little bit disappointing. Even if it is only the "beginners" Cab of Clos Du Val. Tasting the wine the next day shows only nuances of changes. The smell is a little bit smoother and the overall picture more harmonic. But I can't get rid of the suspicion that the wine has currently a difficult phase. So it could be that in two or three years all jigsaw pieces will come together in a perfect way. Then buying the wine now at Safeway with the existing discount would be an outstanding bargain. Betting on the future .
If you want to drink the wine now I would pair it to a menu starter with lamb. Perhaps a traditional dish from Central Asia like Manti.