Almost Spring

Fantastic weather yesterday, partly sunny and a high in the low 70 degree range. Prime ribeye steaks were on sale at the market and that made it an easy decision to light the grill. A small salad, some oven roasted baby potatoes and a steak just cried out for a red wine. In this case the wine was a 2003 Jocelyn Cabernet from Napa Valley.

I purchased this wine a little over two years ago after a tasting dinner with Susan Curtis, winery owner, at a local restaurant. The dinner featured four of their wines, two chardonnays and two cabernets, each paired with a different course. All four wines were good but my favorite was the regular bottling of the cabernet.

Two years has done wonders for the wine. The nose was a touch closed at first but came around with some swirling. Black currants and dark fruit were predominant. There was also a hint a vanilla from the oak used in the wine. The taste was the same, fully ripe currants with cherries and a little enriching from a hint of sweet cassis. The acid was nice and the tannins were pleasantly dry. They were a touch strong at the start but quickly blended into the wine. At 14.5% alcohol it is a little higher than I prefer, but it was well balanced enough that it never went over the edge into the overblown style I've come to hate from Napa. A very good wine and there are two more in the cellar.

This past fall I was at the local market and when I passed through the wine area I saw a familiar face. Susan Curtis was back in the area on another tour and it was good to hear that the small winery is doing well. It was also great to taste their new releases. I purchased three bottles of their 2005 Cabernet that day and they are resting patiently.

Due to a "disagreement" with a winery with a similar sounding name the official name is now Jocelyn Lonen.