The Crusher

2008 Wilson Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

This dark red brick-colored wine has enticing aromas of raspberries and plums with the signature Wilson Vineyards spice. Lively dark fruit comes through on the palate with a focused dry blackberry profile, full of secondary nuances. There is a great deal of background complexity to this wine, with notes of fresh coffee and dusty, sweet leather— dark, rich flavors that give this wine a bold, masculine character. The specific Cabernet clones planted at Wilson Vineyards, along with their viticultural style, tend to produce relatively small berries at harvest, which contributes to the concentrated style and powerful secondary flavors in this wine. The final balance between dark jammy fruit and dusty, earthy dryness is both alluring and satisfying. A full-bodied Cabernet, the finish is long with a core of well-ripened tannins.

A Cabernet of this caliber commands steak, and almost any steak will pair well with this red wine. Try a seared flank steak with truffled mashed potatoes, or a thick, pan-roasted rib eye with a Mia’s Cabernet Reduction sauce. For something more unique, search out some Korean barbequed short ribs to match with the full range of flavors found in this wine.