Mid-range California cabernets can often be better right-now drinking than $100-plus wines, which usually require years of aging for their tannin and oak to mellow. The bold, fruity 2007 Wild Horse Cabernet Sauvignon is a good example. Savory and rich, with aromas of cedar and spice and taste notes of cocoa and dark fruit, it has a lush, mouth-filling texture that's the definition of smooth.

I think of Paso Robles as a hotbed of syrah producers -- it's sometimes known as "the Rhone zone" -- but it's home to more than 40 grape varieties. Cabernet sauvignon accounts for a whopping 38 percent of the region's vine acreage.

Founded by winemaker Ken Volk nearly 30 years ago, Wild Horse winery released a cabernet in its first vintage, 1983. Volk sold the property, named for the wild mustangs that roamed the region's hills, in 2003. Wine, beer and spirits giant Constellation Brands bought it in fall 2007, after this wine had already been made.

Don't look for terroir expression of a single vineyard in this wine. Volk started the tradition of blending, so the wine is a mix of red varietals grown in several dozen vineyards in the state's Central Coast. Grapes used vary from vintage to vintage; I've had one past bottling that included blaufränkisch.

The 2007 is more classic, with all the usual varieties you find in a Bordeaux-style wine. Frigid winter temperatures, less than usual rainfall, and a long, slow harvest translated into a concentrated, powerful wine. Yet it has what I think of as the traditional Paso Robles character: intense color, soft tannins, upfront fruitiness and dark chocolatey flavors with strong savory notes.

Much at Constellation Brands is in flux. So grab this vintage of Wild Horse while you can.

Elin McCoy is a wine and spirits columnist and author of "The Emperor of Wine: The Rise of Robert M. Parker, Jr. and the Reign of American Taste."

Comment

smaller | bigger

Write the displayed characters

Post Now Preview