A couple of weeks back I looked at some Pinot Noir's from Willowbrook 
Cellars. Joe Otos is the winemaker for those wines. He's also the person who makes the two Cabernet Sauvignons I'm looking at today and tomorrow. These two Cabernet's are from Owl Ridge Wines. Their focus is to produce Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma County fruit.
The Owl Ridge Wines 2005 Cabernet was produced from fruit sourced at Brigden Vineyard. That vineyard is located in the hills between Sonoma Valley and Napa Valley's Spring Mountain. This wine was aged for almost two years in French oak, 40% of it new. 256 cases of this Cabernet Sauvignon were produced and the suggested retail price is $48.
This Cabernet opens with a big, fragrant nose full of violets. Blueberry and blackberry fruit dominate the palate, underscored by dark, dusty baker's chocolate. Around the mid-palate cherry notes emerge and stay in play through the finish. Speaking of which, the finish is impressively long, lingering and memorable, featuring earth, spice (most notably white pepper), and mocha notes. This wine has firm but approachable tannins and good acidity. This is a very well built wine that lets the fruit shine on through. A steak would be an excellent match for this Cabernet.
The finish is what most impressed me about this wine. It goes on for quite a long time. While this Cabernet is drinking well now, especially after a solid hour in the decanter, it should improve for some time. My bet is that it shows positive evolution over the next 3-5 years and drinks well for 5 or so after that. The Brigden Vineyard Cabernet from Owl Ridge Wines is an excellent effort well worth the price. This is the sort of wine to consider for your holiday meal.
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