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wine of the month

2005 Robert Craig, Napa Valley (California) Cabernet Sauvignon “Affinity”

About the wine:
85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Heady perfume of ripe black cherry and currant, with black tea, spice and violet notes. Bright and abundant dark fruit and black currant liqueur are intertwined with sweet spice box, licorice and violets. Opulent black cherry drives the lively, long-lived finish. A rich, multi-layered Cabernet that balances power with finesse. The 2004 vintage Affinity is a Cabernet-driven Bordeaux blend that showcases the power and richness of Napa Valley hillside fruit backed by an underlying band of round, ripe tannins. Luscious fruit flavors of great depth and purity are hallmarks of Affinity along with integrated tannin structure for long-term aging.

About the producer:
This winery seems to specialize in turning out Cabernets that achieve impressive concentration and depth of flavor without sacrificing purity of fruit or charging an arm and a leg for the finished product.  Notes of blackberry and black cherry intermingle with accents of spicy oak that are, thankfully, subtle enough to keep the fruit in the forefront.  Fine-grained tannins lend structure but do not dry the finish, which is pure and pleasant.

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