Friday, December 19, 2014

Buehler Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 1987

Buehler Vineyards has a prime Napa location near St. Helena at the foot, but its wines are always reasonably priced. I paid $11 plus for this Cabernet in the late 1980s, and the current vintage sells for about $20. Maybe because of the low price, the high quality often gets overlooked.

Considering the wine's age, I didn't open it ahead of time to let it breathe. And that was probably a mistake; this wine is not old in any way. At first, the bouquet is not as forthcoming as I expected, but it opens slowly over the next half hour. The flavors are fresh and lively from the beginning, and they too expand considerably. Red fruits and a hint of black currants. Definitely a Napa Cab rather than a Bordeaux in style. It is not at all heavy, alcoholic or fat as many New World Cabernets are. The structure keeps it lively and leaves a long, lovely finish.

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