The Black Cat

This time of year is always rough, my work nearly triples and it always hurts my ability to post on the blog. At first, I thought it best to let it go and post a "please forgive my absence in this busy time" sort of post. However, the more a I thought about it, the more I realized that we are beyond that, and I believe my readers would enjoy knowing what i'm drinking in the little free time I have--even if it's not the most well thought out post to the blog.

And so, here it is and I hope you enjoy, because it's totally unadulterated and exactly what's on my mind as I pull wines from my cellar at a very busy time…

The Black Cat

For years I've wondered why I haven't seen any professional tasting notes on EMH Black Cat. Are they too small? Do they refuse to submit samples? I don't know. What I do know is that this tiny wine was one of my most prized discoveries from a trip I took to Napa a few years ago. Out of all the wineries that I visited, there were only three lists that I bought wines from, and this was one of them. Coming from a single acre vineyard in Calistoga, which makes for a great study through the vintages, since it's always from the same small parcel. Tonight I revisited the 2005, and it was drop--dead--gorgeous!

2005 EMH Cabernet Sauvignon Black Cat - The nose was refined yet intense with cherry cola, minty herbs, spice, rose-infused dark chocolate and hints of sweetened lavender. On the palate, it was plush and weighty but with great finesse and brisk acidity. Never overwhelming or overdone, instead perfectly balanced. Ripe black fruit, currant, cola and holiday spice danced on the palate and gave way to juicy cherry, which lasted through the long finish. This wine has remained one of my favorites from Black Cat and is in a great place right now. (93 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

2006 Black Cat, out of its shell, out of this world.

After last week’s article, “A black cat, crossing your path, is not always bad luck.” I was asked by Merrill Lindquist of EMH Vineyards to re-taste the 2006 vintage. Since my tasting notes of the 2006 were from my visit to Napa in the summer of 2009, I felt it was a very fair request and Merrill assured me that this wine had really started to show its potential. Let me just say that I’m glad I took her up on this challenge!

The 2006 EMH vineyards, Black Cat, was on a whole new level from my previous tasting. Almost a year has passed, and this dark beauty has really come out of its shell. Upon pouring, the aromatics leapt from the glass and filled the room with a bouquet of sweet floral notes and dark fruits. With a swirl in the glass I found blackberry, cherry and anise with notes of pepper and sage. The palate showed rich spicy black currant, cinnamon gram cracker and dark chocolate, yet also showed wonderful vibrancy and finesse. The finish went on and on for over a minute with a seductive mix of clove, cinnamon, star anise and cherry. I am impressed and happy to upgrade my score to 93+ points!

Not only is this a treat to drink but it held up to a plate of Bucatini all'Amatriciana, which is no easy task with this traditional Italian pasta dish that has a lion’s share of flavor and spice.