1998 Martin Ray Mariage, Cabernet Sauvignon
California
$19-$23
A blend of 85 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 8 percent Merlot
and 7 percent Cabernet Franc, this wine's grapes come from Napa's Diamond Mountain
and the valley below, Sonoma's acclaimed sky-high van der Kamp vineyard and Mendocino's
ridgetop vineyards cooled by the Pacific Ocean's maritime influences. The hand-harvested
grapes were fermented in open-top tanks, before an 18-month aging period in a
combination of new and old French oak barrels, followed by an additional nine
months of bottle aging. A good drinking wine with cellaring potential, the wine
exhibits mountain fruit aromas with floral notes, followed by ripe cassis, blackberry
fruit and exotic spice. The wine's excellent structure is well-balanced with rounded
tannins, both finesse and complexity, and intense fruit character. A good accompaniment
to steak, venison, roast duck and other robust dishes. Available at The Wine Seller,
Cork & Bottle, Dorignac's and Langenstein's Old Metairie.
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