The wine liberated from the cellar was a 2001 Chateau Ste. Michelle, Canoe Ridge Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from the Columbia Valley area of Washington. Five years ago a wine store was closing and there were some tremendous prices on wines. I purchased three bottles of this wine and this was the lone survivor of that purchase.
The nose was mature fruit, mostly dark cherries and a little cassis. There was a touch of vanilla from the oak and that just added to the wonderful aroma coming out of the glass. The taste was the darkest cherries, some more cassis and a hint of dark chocolate. There was a faint bit of earth in the wine.
There is an elegance that sets in when a well made wine matures and this wine had reached this stage. There were still tannins, but they did not interfere with the fruit. The acid was in perfect balance and it didn't interfere either. All those parts came together and just made for an elegant and mature wine. There was a long, sweet finish that just gradually faded. I don't think this wine would ever be better than it was this night.
It took all evening but the wine in the bottle vanished. Good memories remain of a superb wine.
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