2006 SongBook Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Songbook (only 128 cases) is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot, all from David Abreu's personal vineyards of Thorevilos and Madrona Ranch. This wine is a potential superstar, with tremendous graphite notes intermixed with creme de cassis, blackberry, charcoal, white chocolate, and perhaps even a hint of espresso. It is deep, full-bodied, rich, but strikingly pure and even elegant in spite of its substantial flavors and size. This is a stunning Stags Leap wine to drink over the next 25+ years. One of the new up-and-coming wineries in Stags Leap is Cliff Lede, run by the proprietor of the same name and his winemaker Michelle Edwards. (None other than superstar David Abreu is the viticulturalist, and this is another place where Michel Rolland makes his semi-annual stop for consulting purposes.) 2006 turned out to be very successful for the wines of Cliff Lede, all displaying the elegance one expects from the Stags Leap region, but with substantial flavors as well as intensity. Tel. (800) 428-2259; Fax (707) 944-8020