A winemaker treats oak in the same way an alchemist tampers with metal — except, of course, one finds more success in a vague science than the other.
Just how much influence the choice of new or used wood, the provenance of the trees involved or the amount of “toast” applied is open to debate. But few dispute the notion that oak imparts some measure of its own character on a wine.
So there is a reason the crew at Cache Creek settled their 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon in precisely 87.5 percent new oak from three specific forests in France, with the remaining 12.5 percent hewn from the good old Show Me State.
Their choice of wood pulses through the wine. It mulls the green pepper soul of Cabernet, too often buried by the desire to provide big fruit, into an herbaceous note so lilting it leaves a floral impression on the nose. It draws out the finish, lending a baritone echo.
Yet the fruit was hardly dulled by 26 months caged in staves. Aromas of black cherry, cassis and a spoonful of blackberry jam flow from the glass. It seems almost too vibrant for a 2006, until you catch a little of the wine’s earthy foundation.
On the palate that rich, dense layer of spicy bark, dark chocolate and vanilla creeps up through the strata of bold fruit, taking on aspects of cherry, plum and cassis until an intriguing savor of fruitcake or a Cadbury’s fruit and nut bar emerges. But this is far in the background — a structural note for waves of almost playful fruit.
After eight years in the bottle, Cache Creek’s Cabernet remains remarkably confident and lively. Although growing older, it is reluctant to show its age. The fruits sway to a fresh beat with broad shoulders and bold strides.
Perhaps the fruits appear so fresh because the winemakers made an effort to blunt the varietal’s zealous tannins. The team picked out seeds before fermentation, aerated the wine and allowed the yeast to work in cool temperature. But they left enough structure so the Cabernet will mature nicely.
Cache Creek’s 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon is a wine to drink now and to cellar for a few years on.
Of course, they started with 780 cases and are down to the last few dozen. So time, for those who wish to appreciate their craft without begging a well-stocked friend, is running out.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
