The Black Cat

This time of year is always rough, my work nearly triples and it always hurts my ability to post on the blog. At first, I thought it best to let it go and post a "please forgive my absence in this busy time" sort of post. However, the more a I thought about it, the more I realized that we are beyond that, and I believe my readers would enjoy knowing what i'm drinking in the little free time I have--even if it's not the most well thought out post to the blog.

And so, here it is and I hope you enjoy, because it's totally unadulterated and exactly what's on my mind as I pull wines from my cellar at a very busy time…

The Black Cat

For years I've wondered why I haven't seen any professional tasting notes on EMH Black Cat. Are they too small? Do they refuse to submit samples? I don't know. What I do know is that this tiny wine was one of my most prized discoveries from a trip I took to Napa a few years ago. Out of all the wineries that I visited, there were only three lists that I bought wines from, and this was one of them. Coming from a single acre vineyard in Calistoga, which makes for a great study through the vintages, since it's always from the same small parcel. Tonight I revisited the 2005, and it was drop--dead--gorgeous!

2005 EMH Cabernet Sauvignon Black Cat - The nose was refined yet intense with cherry cola, minty herbs, spice, rose-infused dark chocolate and hints of sweetened lavender. On the palate, it was plush and weighty but with great finesse and brisk acidity. Never overwhelming or overdone, instead perfectly balanced. Ripe black fruit, currant, cola and holiday spice danced on the palate and gave way to juicy cherry, which lasted through the long finish. This wine has remained one of my favorites from Black Cat and is in a great place right now. (93 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!