Winemaker Scott Simkover has a problem.
A few years ago he produced 100 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon. After releasing it, a surge of interest from consumers left him with just 60 in stock. Then, on Friday, Simkover learned judges at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition considered his 2013 Smiling Dogs Ranch Cabernet as the best wine in its class.
His problem? “I wish I had a lot more,” he said.
So will aficionados of the varietal once they give it a try. The bouquet is deep, almost mysterious. Dark fruits, fallen to earth, stir up musty, herbaceous aromas. A whiff of ocean air on a gray evening also brings in hints of milk chocolate and dry spice.
It’s an introduction so intriguing, so mesmerizing you might forget to take that first sip. The trance continues when you finally do lift the glass. A rhythmic march of fruit — cassis and black cherry — lulls you into a fugue state. The surrounding world melts away, leaving only a conscience devoted to consideration of flavors.
A pour of powdered chocolate drifts along behind the hearty fruits. Underneath this, a genteel peppery spice picks its way through black earth, kicking up more hints of greenery. On the finish, a flicker of cedar leavens the mix.
And all of this from a very young Cab.
“It’s the wine — of all my reds — that’s changing the most,” Simkover observed.
He aged it in American oak, half of it new to allow for greater interaction between wood and wine. He also aimed for a dense, tannic structure.
At first, Simkover was uncertain if the plan would take hold. Last summer, however, he opened a bottle and realized a transformation. A few months later, the wine had improved again — and dramatically so.
“It’s becoming rounder, balancing out,” he said.
At the moment it is a captivating wine — brooding and contemplative, certainly, yet with a youthful appeal and welcoming charm.
The 2013 Smiling Dogs Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon picked up Best of Class out of a crowded San Francisco Chronicle field. It will age nicely — that is, if it lasts.
Given what the wine shows now, it will be difficult for those who pick up the final remaining cases to resist temptation and let the bottles sit.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
