By K.L. Riley

Cakebread Winery represents the finest in Napa Valley horticulture and an American dream realized by an extraordinary family. For over 30 years Cakebread winery has been perfecting the art of making wine and even though this family name has always been on the tongues of wine drinkers it has now come into the spotlight and truly set a precedent that all wineries aspire to. I found the style and class of these wines to be as unique and enticing as its name. The first wine I tasted was the Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc 2007. 89 % Sauvignon Blanc, 7% Semillon, 4% Sauvignon Musque. This was a perfectly manicured product with relatively low acid levels. It seems that in most cases wine makers over produce this varietal and as a result the acid levels are way too high. This leads to wines that are all citrus grapefruit on the palette. Cakebread’s interpretation of this wine is a classic expression of Sauvignon Blanc that I find very appealing. The nose was a little understated with aromas of pink grapefruit, mineral, stone fruit, and melon. On the palate, the flavors mirror the aromas. Refreshing and lively fruit acids with hints of mineral, gooseberry, melon and grapefruit all contribute to this wine’s overall crisp impression. The wine’s lovely fruit intensity and subtle vanilla oak notes carry into the clean, persistent finish. This wine is aged in French oak for 4 months in a barrel and is fermented in 74% stainless steel and 26% French oak. This wine is very crisp and refreshing with a shelf life of up to 3 years.

The second wine I tasted was the 2006 Cakebread Cabernet Sauvignon. 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc. This wine explodes out of the glass and at first glance is very rich with a deep purple hue. The nose is very complex and changes as the wine oxygenates. At first the nose will absorb aromas of smoky toasty oak spice, cassis, blackberry and boysenberry, augmented by subtle cedar, black tea spice and earth. This full bodied wine will coat the palette with black fruits and tannins. The underling structure will start to appear as the wine opens and the palette will taste the rich fruit and zesty black tea spiciness into a long, savory finish while maintaining great integrity and a velvety smoothness. This supple wine can be enjoyed now or 5 to 8 years from now in your cellar. I would suggest buying a case in order to enjoy a bottle now and a bottle later. In addition to these to great wines Cakebread offers a Chardonnay, Reserve Chardonnay,2 Pinot Noirs, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel, Vine hill Cabernet Sauvignon, Dancing Bear Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Benchland Cabernet Sauvignon. All these delectable products can be found in your area or at www.cakebread.com . The Cakebread family is among the most creative and successful winery families in Napa Valley. Since its founding in 1973, the winery has developed a reputation for producing world-class wines. Its success is built on quality, consistency and continuity, characteristics which apply equally to the grapes, the wines, the people and the operation of the winery.Cakebread CellarsPO Box 216 8300 St.Helena Hwy Rutherford, CA 94573 Phone:800.588.0298 Fax: 707.967.4012