Jonathan Neuman  "This beautiful wine offers the best qualities of Napa Valley Cabernet ��fresh, vibrant black fruit �� with the great structure, complexity and long finish that characterize great Bordeaux. There�s a rich current of ripe, fresh blackberry and blueberry along with notes of coffee, mocha and caramel. It�s a knockout with lamb chops, marbled steaks and prime rib."

"The 2006 vintage was a solid one for Napa, as the summer was long and cool, but a nice warm spell just before harvest season allowed the grapes to develop good complexity without too much sugar. The result here is the kind of beautiful wine that offers the best of Napa Cabernet(fresh, vibrant black fruit) with the best qualities of Bordeaux: good structure and complexity and a very long finish. The nose offers blackberry and blueberry. On the palate, I taste hints of coffee, mocha and caramel as well as plenty of vibrant black fruit. It's full-bodied, and quite robust with round tannins that make it approachable right now, but you could cellar it for a several years if you choose."  For more on Jonathan Newman, click here.

Winery:  "Often called �the king of grapes,� the deep red Cabernet Sauvignon is the backbone of the world�s most expensive wines. The sky�s the limit when it comes to how great a Cabernet can be. This �king� can thrive anywhere but the very best Cabernet comes from only a few places in the world � and Napa Valley is at the very top of the list."

Wired for Wine:  It is widely believed that California is the premier state for American wine, with Napa Valley doing some of its very best work.  Despite the fact that the Valley is barely more than 20 miles long (just like France's Burgundy region), it scores repeated  blue ribbons in its Cabernet Sauvignons.  The Mockingbird Hill does not disappoint.

As we've said before, the full-bodied richness of the Cabernet Sauvignon stands up beautifully next to hearty meat dishes.  Bring on the lamb, beef, steak and game.  For those of us with this weekend's Noreaster roaring in, how about hunkering down and roasting a delicious filet of beef?  Some tomatoes tossed with sea salt,  pepper,olive oil and rosemary on a baking sheet in the same oven will lend a Provencal twist.  If more sipping and less labor is your choice, how about lamb burgers with blue cheese on top?

Size:  750 ml
Varietal:  100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol:  13.5%
Vintage:  2006
Region:  Napa Valley, California