Maiden Voyage
/ˈmādn voiij/
96 points
Dagmar 2018 Maiden Voyage
Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
Get ready for a voyage to a new frontier with each sip of this wine. To separate itself from the massive number of Cabernets aged in French oak barrels, this elegant and complex release of the Dagmar 2018 Maiden Voyage is aged in fine American oak. As a result, this high-end, limited release offering joins an elite class of producers, including Silver Oak, Peter Michael and Ridge Vineyards, which work with specialty barrels that are hand-crafted with fine-grain wood from oak forests in Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Pennsylvania and other selected states. To make the flavors more special, the fruit is from the famed Oakville & Atlas Peak appellations in Napa Valley and slowly aged for 24 months to allow plenty of time to soften the tannins and add layers of additional nuances to the finished blend.
In the glass, the benefit of this patience begins with lofty aromas of ripe red fruits layered with complementary notes of mocha, leather, mineral, and baking spice. These expressions continue to the palate, where deep, lively and generous notes of ripe cherry, dark plum, raspberry and fresh currants are interlaced with hints of dried cranberry, milk chocolate, wild sage, and roasted walnuts. As the wine opens, the full-bodied flavors are balanced with the perfect combo of silky texture, bright acidity, delicate tannins, and a long, smooth finish. The result is an extremely sophisticated, well-structured wine that drinks beautifully when young, and a great candidate to age for 10 to 15 years in the cellar.
Food Pairings: Blue cheese, roasted eggplant, pan-seared duck breast with wild berry sauce, juicy ribeye steaks, rack of lamb, and flourless chocolate cake.
“Sommelier to the Stars” Christopher Sawyer, sawyersomm.com
130 Cases
