2007 Covenant Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Kosher

(100% cabernet sauvignon; all free-run juice, aged in 70% new oak) Good deep ruby. Expressive aromas of black cherry, blueberry, chocolate, cedar and menthol. Fresh and firm on the palate, with black cherry fruit complicated by menthol and spices. Not an opulent or particularly sweet style but shows juicy acidity and subtle underlying minerality. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins and lingering mineral nuances. This is all Clone 7 from Larkmead Vineyards. Jeff Morgan's wines are kosher but he emphasizes that they are not flash-pasteurized. My early look at the 2008 cabernet showed a fruitier and perhaps more concentrated set of wines, including a very promising "Solomon Lot 70" that includes fruit from Leslie Rudd's Oakville and Mt. Veeder properties. (Rudd is a partner in the Covenant venture.)

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon possesses the finest fruit of any wine he has made to date. Its dense ruby/purple color is followed by aromas of creme de cassis, spice box, cedarwood, and subtle smoke. A classic Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, with a full-bodied texture and lush, silky tannins, it should drink nicely for 10-15 years. Readers looking for one of the finest kosher wines money can buy should check out former Wine Spectator employee, Jeff Morgan’s, Cabernet Sauvignon, which he accesses from the superb Larkmead Vineyard on Napa’s valley floor, just north of St. Helena. These cuvees are 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 50% Taransaud French barrels that are made under a rabbi’s strict supervision. Tel. (707) 963-3887; Fax (707) 967-9611