January ’16 Wine Club Domestic: 2013 Cartlidge & Browne Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast, California
January 2016
Domestic Wine: 2013 Cartlidge & Browne, Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast, California
Cartlidge & Browne: Sometime in the late 1970’s Tony Cartlidge sat in the cab of a cement mixer on a nuclear plant construction site reading about great California winemakers; shortly thereafter, he got into his 1960 Nash Rambler and headed to Napa. He checked into a Motel 6 and used the Yellow Pages hanging from a payphone in the lobby to cold call wineries looking for employment. After meeting Glen Browne, a man of great business sense with some money to invest, the pair set out to build a wine company from scratch. They decided that there was no need to buy an estate, and there was not enough money, so in 1980 they settled into an undistinguished garage in Napa Valley. While Glen Browne handled the business end, Tony Cartlidge scoured the appellations of the North Coast in his ’60 Rambler. From Napa to Sonoma to Mendocino and to Lake he searched for grapes farmed with care and concern for the land. He brought the harvest of his labors back to the garage and began to make wine that quickly garnered rave reviews from critics and wine lovers alike.
About: The garage may be gone, but Cartlidge & Browne have continued the spirit and vision that began their original garage winery; wine made to express the character of the grapes and a North Coast sense of place. The northernmost counties in California’s wine country are Mendocino and Lake; Mendocino has many micro-climates and a high amount of organic vintners & vines, where Lake is smaller and less climatically diverse, but they both produce complex and sumptuous red grape varietals. This 2013 offering is Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Arvine (an indigenous Swiss varietal typically used in white wines). This wine is ready to drink now, but should open up after a few years of cellaring.
Varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Arvine
Alcohol: 13.5%
Food Pairings: Enjoy this wine with a beef roast or steak fajitas, aged cheddar, or a nice juicy home cooked steak or bacon cheeseburger. Try with dark chocolate covered berries…yum!
Tasting Notes: Cardinal red in color, it starts out with delicious red fruits on the nose that open into ripe blackberry, watermelon, candied plums, & crème brulee. Soft yet fine tannins have notes of coffee, rose petals, and wet slate.
Jim Lutfy’s Thoughts: A great cabernet with great depth on the palate; yet, very harmonious. Great pairing with virtually all meals…especially from the grill!