The Lieff Cabernet Sauvignon is made from grapes harvested in the Auberge Vineyard on the steep, eastern slopes above Rutherford known for their rocky, volcanic soil. Within the vineyard their are three blocks and each has a slightly different terroir adding complexity to the wine. The grapes were planted in 1999 & 2001 and are hand harvested.

2006 started out as a difficult year for grapes in the region with delayed bud break but June brought abundant sunshine and a record setting 10 day heat wave helped the vines catch up. These factors, along with a late summer cooling which allowed the grapes to ripen slowly, further added to the intensity of the grapes.

In color the wine is a medium garnet in color. The nose is redolent with aromas of black currant, which you can smell immediately upon uncorking the bottle, as well as cherry cola, blackberry and some spicy undertones. In the mouth the famed Rutherford dust is quite apparent and the wine exhibits wonderful dark, brambly fruit with great restraint. More Old World than New World in its characteristics. Tannin is present but quite fine. There is a lovely complexity in this Cabernet Sauvignon and it will age quite well. The finish is exquisite with the flavors lingering for some time.

Pair this with red meats from the grill, sharp cheddar or perhaps a hearty pasta in red sauce.

Only 488 cases were bottled so if you see a bottle, don't be shy, buy it!

I was asked by Airsource (they also make the Barista app you may have seen on the Apple commercials) to try out their Cellar iPhone app (they sent me a free copy) yesterday and I am just getting around to playing with it. There are 4 main sections on the app - cellar, garage, wishlist and trash.

In the Cellar you can add bottles that you have, add bottle info (vintage, producer, region, price and even take a picture of the label which is put onto the icon for the that bottle), add tasting notes about the wine and recommended pairings (there are 'quicknote' and 'quickpair' options which lets you click on one or more choices to save you the task of typing). You can also rate the wine, add drink by year and your own star rating. A lot of the fields will auto populate saving you from typing out all the information. For instance I typed Dom and then selected Dominus from the auto suggest feature for one of the bottles I entered.

In the landscape view of the cellar if you select a wine and turn the phone to portrait mode it shows your bottle of wine and all the info you added about the wine - very cool! Also, if you can't decide what to drink just shake the phone when in your cellar and it will pick a bottle for you.

Garage is where you move the empty bottles from your cellar that you have consumed and liked. This way all your tasting notes are handy. Buy the wine again and move the bottle back to the cellar. I'd also use this area to take down some info for a wine that peeked my interest in a wine shop to research it when I get home.

Wishlist is set up the same way. Here you can add wines you want to buy. You can also add bottles here the friends have emailed to you by just one click.

In the trash you can delete bottles forever, should you choose to, or keep them in there if, like me, you do not have the best memory, as a reminder not to buy that bottle again.

You can merge cellars over wifi and I backed up my cellar to my iMac with no trouble at all. It was very easy to do.

About the only improvement I think that could be made would be the addition of barcode scanning and, perhaps, the ability to post to social networks from the app. Cellar is definitely worth the $2.99 price and will be a great addition to your phone providing a nice mesh of functionality and coolness.

Cellar Screen

Wishlist Screen

Garage Screen

Trash Screen

Adding bottles to your Cellar (3 screens)

Detailed view of wine in the Cellar

The Napanook Vineyard Red Bordeaux Blend (87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot and 3% Merlot) from Dominus Estate in Yountville, California pours out a deep crimson red with some lightening on the rim. The nose is a mix of black cherry, black currant, dark chocolate and a little vanilla. In the mouth the wine is velvety, almost opulent with quite potent tannins. Good fruit flavor comes alive in the mouth with some balancing acidity and almost an earthiness with hints of tobacco towards the end. A lovely wine with a long finish. Christian Moueix makes this wine to be drank in its youth but it should age fairly well for a decade. In its earlier years give it a good hour of decanting to let it come to life.

14.10% ABV, 3500 cases made, Napa Valley, CA, $44.99/750ml bottle

I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday. Over the last week I have had the opportunity to try some really wonderful wines. Here are some brief tasting notes.

1999 Argyle Extended Tirage Brut - The Extended Triage Brut from Argyle Winery in Dundee, Oregon pours out a pale gold in color with streams of fine bubbles. Lovely nose of pear, toast and spice. Good acidity and nice flavor in the mouth with nuts, cream, apple and hints of citrus. A lively, vibrant sparkling wine with a fine structure and very long finish.

2006 Ramey Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay - The Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay from Ramey Wine Cellars in Healdsburg, California pours out a rich yellow in color. Lemon, lime, pear, orange blossom, and vanilla on the nose. Opulent, concentrated flavors of citrus, pear, smoke, vanilla cream in the mouth. Good dose of oak too. Heavy in the mouth yet complex & balanced. Bright acidity. Long finish.

2007 Amity Crannell Vineyard Pinot Noir - The Crannell Vineyard Pint Noir from Amity Vineyards in Amity, Oregon pours out a vibrant red in color. Cherry, cranberry, raspberry nose with some spice on the nose. Velvety in the mouth with good fruit (especially for the 2007 vintage) and some savory hints. Moderate length finish. A good wine that was the surprise of that day as I was thinking the vintage might be kind of watery but it was not. Great job in a difficult year.

2006 Pahlmeyer Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir - The Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir from Pahlmeyer in Napa, California pours out a deep plum in color. Raspberry, cherry, floral nose with good earthiness. Nice red cherry and strawberry fruit in the mouth with ripe tannins. Almost a round mouthfeel. Quite complex and elegant. Moderately long finish.

2005 Royal Tokaji Wine Co. Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos Red Label - The Red Label from Royal Tokaji Wine Company in Hungary pours out a slightly oxidized, golden orange in color. Nuts, maple syrup and candied apple on the nose. In the mouth flavors of smokey, honeyed apricot, pear, toffee, mineral and spice that is very rich but balanced with a lovely acidity. Long slightly dry finish.

The 2005 Point of View Napa Valley Red Wine (Organic) from Robert Sinskey Vineyards in Napa, California pours out an inky purple in color. On the nose aromas of red fruit, plum, licorice and a touch of olive. In the mouth the fruit shines through with some peppery spice and herb. Quite potent tannins provide a good backbone for the wine to age on. Nice acidity. Quite lush in mouthfeel. Bright and inviting. A lovely wine that is good now and will improve over the next 5-10+ years. I paid $37.99 for a 750ml bottle.