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Nickel & Nickel, Oakville-Napa Valley (California) Rock Cairn Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 ($80)
By Mary Ewing-Mulligan
Nov 7, 2006
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I first tasted the wines of Nickel & Nickel in 2000, when the winery's inaugural vintage, 1997, was released.  I was immediately captivated by the concept -- a collection of small-lot, 100%-varietal, single-vineyard wines -- and by the wines themselves, especially the Cabernets.  Six vintages later, the wines continue to excite me.

Nickel & Nickel is an outgrowth of Napa Valley's elite Far Niente winery.  The new winery produces 18 single-vineyard wines, which range from 250 to 3500 cases in production: eight Cabernet Sauvignons, three Chardonnays, three Merlots, three Syrahs and a Zinfandel.  Most of the wines, and all the Cabs, come from Napa Valley.  True to the founding concept, each of the wines is distinct from the others, even within the same grape variety.

Choosing one wine to recommend wasn't easy, because they are all so good.  My choice narrowed to two, apart from the stunning Cab from Martin Stelling Vineyard in Oakville, which has a tiny production of only 400 cases and at $130 costs considerably more than the other Cabernets.  With time, the Rock Cairn Vineyard Cab won my heart over another Oakville wine, the John C. Sullenger Cabernet.  What set Rock Cairn apart from all the other Cabernets was its complex, delicate aromas and flavors that became all the more complex with air.

If you know Napa Valley Cabernets, you could probably write half the tasting note yourself: the wine is deep in color, full-bodied, dry, with a firm tannic structure of new oak and very good concentration of fruit character.  Beyond those characteristics, this wine has excellent depth, is not overly dense in texture and its aromas and flavors are very focused and pure.  When first poured, the wine gives off an aroma that you might describe as perfume.  With air, the perfume differentiates into notes of lavender, mint, camphor, licorice and eucalyptus on the nose and palate.  Lest you think this is a Barolo, notes of ripe black cherry and black currants bring you back to Cabernet Sauvignon and to Napa Valley.

In contrast, the Sullenger Cab is riper and more powerful with plumper fruit flavors and denser, soft tannins.  It's a great wine, but the Rock Cairn has it beaten on finesse and stylishness.  Both vineyards are situated on the eastern side of Route 29, but the Rock Cairn Vineyard is on the southern edge of the Oakville appellation, while the Sullenger is farther north, in the heart of the Oakville area.  Rock Cairn is a dry-farmed vineyard. 

Feel free to give the Rock Cairn plenty of air, whether in a decanter or in large Bordeaux-style glasses.  Because of its aromatic delicacy, it can complement foods that might be overwhelmed by a more massive Cab, such as grilled chicken or veal piccata.  If you choose to cellar it, try it with whatever is the fashionable cuisine in 2016.

93 Points