ON THE NOSE:
A warm sense of cream and leather emanates from the glass, smelling comfortably like a Cab done well. The fruit is present, but more like cranberry than cherry with that sharp, angular tartness. Dried flowers, even potpourri are sharing their aromas, powdery and dry, but not masking, as they might. There is earth here: the smell of soil under the moss in the forest two days after a hard rain; just a hint of white-pine needles as well, in the autumn, when they are orange, and the smell is not as pronounced! A burp has been added to this wine too, hmmm, as well as – strange as it may seem – some 1970’s school bus seats; yes, they’re there, behind the other scents, right there smack-dab in the middle. Why? I don’t know! I didn’t make this wine, I’m just smelling what’s there.
This nose is comfortable, and makes me contented, relaxed even. Not over the top, but you don’t have to stick your nose deep into the glass to partake of its essence either. To me this smells honest, with a definite hat-tip toward Bordeaux in style, but retaining some Californian identity as well. The color is light – much lighter than I expected – and this, too, makes me think of a French wine, as does the earthy aroma. These qualities could be referred to as “old-world” in style, but I think many new-world fans would like what’s here as well; certainly all “fence-sitters” (those who like new- and old-world styles roughly equally) will like this offering, this bouquet. It is a complex nose, sometimes even smelling like Pinot Noir, with that hint of the local landfill, or even the compost pile! I REALLY like it when a wine keeps changing like this. This is a good one for that, and my thumbs are up, so far, for this little beaut. After thinking of this for a second I took another deep inhalation of the liquid in my glass and could at once smell sweet cream, toast, secondary fruit and asparagus mixed with squashed grasshoppers. I’m not making this up to have something weird to say – I don’t need to do that – for what’s here is simply fun and interesting to take part of. Like I said: something for everyone.
ON THE PALATE:
A very mild attack, here, taking a moment before the burst of crisp, bright, angular acidity reaches for the roof of the mouth, reminding me of cranberries, as mentioned earlier when describing the nose. The complexity of the mid-palate is rather nice, with leather and plum that surges past the acidity – which remains in the top-palate – coming to rest in the lower-palate, the tongue and the gums. It’s truly like it catches back up with itself in the bottom of the mouth, and stays for a long moment, forcing one to contemplate the flavors extant there. It’s then that you notice that your lips feel a little tingly too, spicy, almost like they were bitten by a hot red pepper. That’s a nice touch.
The mouthfeel here is light, but I don’t think of it as watery as the flavors are too present for that. The wine dries the mouth pleasantly, but without any tannic bravado which again makes me think of lighter French wines, perhaps Margaux, or even something Italian. Hmmm, perhaps the California identity is ambiguous here after all, but hell, I haven’t yet given this one even an hour to wake up, so maybe it will show its true colors after several more hours in this Virginia air.
As I continue to sip I continually admit that I am pleased with the ride so far; this is fun! There are moments when I absolutely know I am drinking a California Cab, yet there are times too that bring my thoughts away from American soil to classic vineyards that create mixtures of green vegetables and cooked cabbage with their cherry fruit concoction. I get toast that has been cooked with green bell-pepper with primary cherry fruit resting on a belt of plasticized leather swinging back and forth through a froth of fresh whipped cream with just the slightest occasional hint of stomach acid which believe it or not brings forth the exact aroma of soured milk, and then I simply decide where I want to be on the journey and imagine myself there, and there I am. And THERE I am. And there. And when I am finished I feel it all being flushed down a stalk of celery – undeniable celery – stuffed with an over-done raspberry reduction sauce, just before the flavor of burnt sets in. There it is, on the throat, attached to 100-grit sandpaper that is stuck in the esophagus. This flavor remains for a spell longer than it would if this were not a well-made wine. This IS a well-made wine. I am pleased that I like it; after all, it’s fun to drink good wine. This wine is good and, if you allow it to happen, this wine can be fun. It will depend on your mood, of course, but if you use this as your wine of choice for an evening spent you may come to look on wine consumption as I do, an ongoing drama with a never-ending repertoire. Give me something original. Make me think. Make me raise my eyebrows and look up to the left!
Wines that bring things to the table cannot be denied, and those that fail to deliver definitely disappoint, and bring me down. Drinking wine is an event: it is a serious part of what I do, and it is taken seriously. What I have learned is that it is the subtleties that separate wine from good wine; you don’t always have to pay top dollar for this intrigue, but sometimes you do get what you pay for, and other times you get much more than expected, and these wines, both categories, are your compass, are what your intention is when choosing, are what you remember and hope for when choosing again. As often as not you are separated from much more expenditure than is fair, but this is also your compass, for you cannot hone your reality without blunder, and we all need parameters.
This wine brings much to the table, offering something for everyone. I would rather have a more aggressive tannic structure, but that's just me; one could not say this wine has lots of tannin. It is not inexpensive but it does proffer complexity and honesty, as well as a screwcap! When I first saw a screwcap on a bottle of wine I was livid, especially when on an expensive bottle, feeling a sense of loss at this trend in bemoaning the romantic cork! I guess the cap brought back distorted memories of Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill! HOWEVER, I have had far, far too many corked wines in the past year, so now I am completely all for the screwcap, and it may even make the difference between deciding what I buy and what I leave at the store. Screw the cork!
Buy a bottle of Marcelina Vineyards 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon if you come across it, and let me know what you think. I don’t know about you, but I’ve spent $30 without being pleased, several times; this wine pleases.
(Click here for an explanation of our ratings ...)
Our Rating: 91
Would we drink it again? 
You betcha!
Would we buy it again?
Yes, I would buy it again, but probably only because I drank this bottle without Darcey and I really would like for her to taste it too. Otherwise I may spend $30 on other wines as many good wines can be had at this price-point, however if I ever saw it on sale I would definitely grab one.
