Stony Ridge Winery

Winemaker Dale Vaughn-Bowen certainly put together an interesting blend of Livermore grapes for this very appealing wine. It contains fruit from 5 different Livermore vineyards, including the Blue Oak, Del Arroyo, Clark, McGrail and Toy sites. The wine contains 89.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.9% Petite Sirah and 3.4% Touriga Nacional. When was the last time you saw that in a Cabernet? Dale explains that the Cab is actually several different clones: the majority is clone 7, which she characterizes as fruity and medium bodied, while the hillside clone 337 adds depth, and clones 8 and 15 add backbone and tannins. The addition of the Petite and the Touriga Nacional did indeed round it out. She suggests serving it with a T-bone steak smothered with grilled onions and mushrooms – a very good recommendation. We had it with some fine top sirloin marinated in a wine reduction sauce and coated with cracked pepper and Fleur de Sel coarse salt. It was most excellent.

This wine has a perfect Cab nose: it is all Bordeaux all the time. It’s cassis, pepper and elderberry in the nose, with leather, plum tart, ripe cherries, and a hit of basil and oregano on the palate. The smoke from the American oak and the mocha from the French barrels add complexity throughout. Great mouthfeel, good acid, nice tannins: keeps opening up to new flavors. This wine has so many layers, it makes a Sacher torte look downright simple. I’ve had Cabs that cost twice as much that couldn’t hold a fork to this wine. There is no doubt at all about why this wine is flying out of the tasting room.

(Alc: 15.3, Retail: $17)

Reviewed August 28, 2006 by Laura Ness.