2019 Ehret Family Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Reserve – Quality Wine with a Quality Meal
The Winery
Picture from Ehret Family Winery Website
The Ehret Family Winery owners are Pierre and Susan Ehret with their three children Alex, Christian and Isabella. They established the vineyard and started producing grapes in 1996 at the Bavarian Lion Vineyards. It is one of the largest estates in Knights Valley consisting of 1800 acres of both hillside and valley floor terrain. Currently 500 acres are planted in vineyards allowing the balance to provide an ecosystem for plants and birdlife to dwell. From 1996 they sold their fruit to some of the more well-known wineries throughout Napa and Sonoma counties. In 2005, they selected the highest quality grapes and started their family brand, Ehret Family Winery. Today they produce various Cabernet Sauvignon’s, Red Blends, Zinfandel, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc wines. Their tasting room is located in Healdsburg at 422 Healdsburg Ave and appointments are required.
Map courtesy from Vintroux https://vineyardandwinerysales.com/
Knights Valley is located in Northern Sonoma County between Alexander Valley and over the Napa Valley border next to Calistoga.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine from their Hillside site comes from the highest elevation blocks on their estate.
First on the eyes, this dark red, almost black wine startled me on the pour! It was followed by a heavy weight viscosity oozing with aromas. On the nose, black and red fruits of blackberry and raspberry swirled about to provide an enticing aroma. On the palate, the fruits raised like a standing ovation of applause with its flavors. Full body with the intensity of fruit counterbalanced with sweet vanilla pipe tobacco and toasted oak. The finish was unique because on the sip the tannins were smooth and velvety, but on the finish they raised up like a wild stallion, beautifully strong and bold. One of the best wines tasted this year!
I don’t read the winemaker’s notes ahead of time wanting to draw my own conclusions. What I did not know when reading the notes on their 2019, was the pedigree of this opulent wine.
Their 2019 received 98 points & Best of Class at the American Fine Wine Competition and 96 points & Double Gold at the Sunset Magazine International Wine Competition and at the San Francisco Chronicle it was awarded Double Gold. The wine is 15.5% alcohol and the website for their 2019 showed it at $125/bottle. This wine reminded me of many of the better mountain Cabernet Sauvignon’s in Napa like Outpost, O’Shaughnessy, Barnett, Arkenstone, Robert Craig, Viader, etc.
The wine consists of 79.99% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.32% Merlot, 6.47% Cabernet Franc, 4.62% Petit Verdot and .6% of Malbec. It is aged for 18 months in 86% new French oak barrels and only 87 cases were produced. It is listed at $125/bottle and is 15.5% alcohol.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Brought this wine to a dinner hosted by our friends Steve and Darlene Besst. The food pairing this evening was lasagna with homemade Bolognese sauce. The sauce was absolutely to die for! It consisted of olive oil, diced bacon, chopped onion, chopped celery, chopped carrot, minced garlic cloves, fresh thyme, ground veal, ground pork, red wine, bay leaves and tomato puree. Served with roasted halved Brussel sprouts with bacon and balsamic glaze, Cesar salad with homemade dressing with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and toasted garlic sourdough bread. An excellent and gourmet meal with a fantastic wine worthy of Andre Simon’s quote above.
Before, during and after the meal some other exquisite wines were enjoyed.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
A wonderful meal and wine pairing that will be remember indefinitely.
Sláinte,
Michael
California Wines & Wineries 