Honig Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

photo by Shirley

For the few that did not know, today was the 3rd Annual National Cabernet Day.  It happened to be a very warm day here in CNY and a nice full bodied red, like Cabernet Sauvignon, is be much better suited for a chilly autumn or very cold winter day, but then again, any time is nice for a good Cab Sauv.  Dinner menu was already set, so I had to pair a 2009 Honig Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($30) with grilled salmon, tomato-cucumber salad and fried green tomatos, zucchini, baby bellas and stuffed zucchini flowers.
I opened and decanted a few hours before lighting up the grill, but only for Shirley to take a few photos.  That may have been a blessing, because I stole a little taste and found this was going to be an OK wine, but maybe a little too earthy or musty.  Two hours later while grilling the fish I poured a glass and found a much different wine.
The wine had a nice deep garnet red color.  Lots of dark fruit aromas of black cherry, currant, blackberry and some plum with hints of smoke, earth and vanilla on the nose.  Nice and smooth in the mouth with some spice, anise and blackberry, also some burnt wood and vanilla.  The finish was very long with some ripe tannins, dark plum and blackberry.  Very nice wine right now and will only get better with age. I'll have to get a few to lay down for a few years and maybe a few for autumn and winter of this year.
As far as tonight's pairing, the wine went very nicely with the salmon, but not so well with the fried veggies. The Honig Cabernet Sauvignon was also fantastic sipping with a few bites of extra sharp cheddar later on.  A very nice $30 wine and Highly Recommended.