If you are visiting us for the first time, Welcome! The Wine Spies feature one exceptional wine each day – and we only bring you wines that we ourselves seek out and love. Always, the wines are great. Sometimes greater than great, as is the case with today’s wine from Galante Vineyards.

Superior Wine Alert!

All of the wines we feature here are great, but sometimes we wrangle up a really stand-out wine. Today’s wine is superb, superior, stupendous and stellar

Mission Codename: The Galante Gang

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Ride the range, in search of an outstanding 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, and rope some for our Operatives

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Galante Vineyards

Wine Subject: 2004 Blackjack Pasture Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker: Greg Vita

Backgrounder: 2004 was purported to be the best vintage on recent record for California Cabernet Sauvignon. When Agent Red was directed to rustle up a handful of the best examples of ‘04 Cali Cab, he headed first to Galante Vineyards in picturesque Carmel Valley (in Monterey County) where Galante’s Blackjack Cabernet Sauvignon was winning the hearts and palates of wine drinkers worldwide. Read his tasting analysis and mission report to find out how he fared.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep ruby hues with great clarity and depth of color, right to the edges. When swirled, the surface settles quickly and the wines fat legs move slowly down the glass. Wait a while and you will see something you may never have seen before; the legs become streams of non-connected dots. Unique!

Smell – Rich and fruit-filled layers with black berry, black cherry, black currant and plum, with chocolate, leather, pine tar, green wood and rose petals

Feel – Thin and light on the mid-pallet, the wine initially races across the tongue and then medium tannins grab the entire palate and coat the whole mouth

Taste – Ripe sweetness at the tip of the tongue, introducing layered flavors of cherry juice, plum, sweet cranberry and cocoa, with supple leather and, soft oak and earth

Finish – Smooth, sweet and slightly dry, with flavors that last forever

Conclusion – This is a big and delicious Cab, but its no brute. With dynamic mix of both soft and subtle flavors, this wine exudes character, richness, balance, deep aromatics and giant flavors. For the best experience with this wine, I recommend decanting for at least 4 hours. I opened a bottle and then put the cork back in for 24 hours (with no added gasses) before sampling again. When I did taste the wine again it was far more pleasing, with softer aromatics and flavors.

Mission Report:

note: be sure to read the following in your best cowboy voice

Howdy Pardners! Agent Red here, reportin’ back from the range.

During a recent mission to infiltrate the notorious Galante Gang_, I was known simply as ’_*Red*’.

Why me? Well, match up my love for great red wines with the time I spent playing Cowboys and Indians as a child – and it was only natural that Central Command should chose me for this mission.

It had been rumored that Galante produced some of the best Cabernets in the state so I was sent to investigate. I arrived at the Galante Ranch where I was greeted by Cowboy Winemaker, Jack Galante. I told Jack right off that I was new in town and wanted to join his Gang. He looked somewhat skeptical when he noticed my shiny penny loafers, but after he sized me up, he invited me in for a tasting. (Note to self: Pay better attention to my disguises!)

Jack poured me a glass of his Cabernet Sauvignon (shouldn’t he serve it in a tin cup?). What struck me first was this wine didn’t have the overpowering aromas of chili pepper usually found in the Cabs of the Monterey region. Rather, I found sandalwood, oak, cherry, currant and rose. This is an aromatic wine that’s not afraid to boast about its character.

After some very skillful cowboy style sniffing and yelling “YEE-HAW!”, I went in for a taste. I was impressed. This is a very bright and flavorful wine that has a big mouth feel, with medium tannins and big tastes of cherry and berry.

I think that Jack was impressed with my cowboy manner. At least I think that’s why he was looking at me in that way. And, no, that’s not a Brokeback reference. Jack is all man.

This wine certainly gets my personal recommendation and I’m pretty sure that we’ll feature other Galante wines here in the future. Pair it with free range gourmet like pan-seared baked beans, cactus fritters or even a fine tumbleweed stew.

For a real Cowboy Cabernet that can be served with real cuisine, you should pick up a bottle or two. This is a wine that is ready to drink now, but could peak in just a few years.

For a real pairing, we recommend a delicious Montana Legend steak

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Galante Vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.