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Mission Codename: The Power of Love

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Return to Operative’s favorite, O’Brien Estate, and secure an ample quantity of their beautiful Seduction Napa red blend for our romantically inclined Operatives

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: O’Brien

Wine Subject: 2006 O’Brien Estate Seduction

Winemaker: David Yorgensen

Backgrounder: Earlier this year, we had the great fortune to have infiltrated the O’Brien Estate winery, where Agent Red discovered O’Briens incredible 2005 Seduction, an elegant and delicious red blend. Agent Red’s keen nose for blends containing his favorite varietal, Cabernet Franc, led him to secure a cache of cases. Our Operatives purchased all of the allocation, making it one of our more popular Napa reds. Napa Red blends, particularly those from the Oak Knoll District, have always been popular with our Operatives. For today’s wine, we sent Agent Red back to O’Brien to secure their 2006 Seduction, an even more fantastic Double Gold Medal winner. Read Agent Red’s mission report and tasting notes below

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep ruby with a darker heart of garnet to nearly black. This wine has deep color concentration, right out its burgundy-colored edges. On swirling, this wine moves fast and shows a slightly springy surface that settles quickly, leaving behind chubby, wide-spaced legs that take a long time to emerge before they finally crawl down the inside of the glass

Smell – Medium bodied on the nose, leading off with succulent black cherry, sweetwoods, cassis, truffle, a hint of spice – and an unusual wintergreen that shows up on very deep inhalation

Feel – Round and light on entry, then the wine settles in, exhibiting a sexy medium body with supple fine-grained tannins

Taste – Dusky cherry leads the way, with juicy dark mixed berries, soft spice, sweetwoods, and soft oak

Finish – Starts dusky and earthen, and then dark stonefuit emerges and reveals a slight dryness and spicy tannins as flavors tail off slowly

Conclusion – Once again, O’Brien Estate Winery impresses us with its winemaking kung-fu! This wine outshines even the 2005 Seduction which I raved about earlier this year. Fuller of flavor, more voluptuous of feel and more seductive on the nose, this wine provides an even deeper experience. Made from 100% Estate grown fruit, this wine is a delicious threat whose component wines all play together perfectly, with no one varietal outshining another. I am very partial to Cabernet Franc, and while it is certainly present in this wine, it does not come through as vegital or green as Cab Franc can. The Merlot gives the wine a bright acidity while the Cabernet Sauvignon provides ample backbone, without overpowering the wine – or your palate. This is a great food wine, and we enjoyed a bottle with a simple baked penne that was topped with mixed cheese that was browned to a crisp. Later, we opened a second bottle and enjoyed that on its own. This provided two distinctly different experiences. The wine matched perfectly with food, which it complimented rather than muscled out. As a solo-sipper, we were able to more carefully pay attention to its subtle nuances. Either way, we were delightfully seduced!

Mission Report:

The life of a wine spy can be a lonely and isolated affair. Field reconnaissance or undercover missions can keep me away from loved ones for days or even weeks at a time. Don’t get me wrong, I love my work. It is incredibly rewarding to sleuth great wines for our Operatives.

Waaaaaaa!, right? Poor Wine Spy, poor International man of wine-intrigue. Okay, I admit it. I sometimes wallow in self pity. Don’t we all get a little blue sometimes?

On a particularly grueling mission recently, I found myself staked out – in the rain – waiting for a local asset to stash a wine in our previously-arranged dead drop. He was late, I was wet and I had not been on a date with Agent Sparkle for what seemed like an eternity.

More rain. More waiting… and then a solitary figure appeared at the edge of the city park. The figure headed for the bench, my dead drop, but the passed right by it. Something was definitely wrong. This person was decidedly more lithe than my bulky field asset.

I crouched lower into the ditch, in the process filling my rubber boots with water. The figure was coming directly toward me now. I crouched lower and, in doing so, slipped in the mud – getting a mouth full of muddy water in the process.

Fearing that I had been spotted, I held perfectly still, listening intently. A loud click-click sound rang out from above me. I braced for the worst… and then realized that the rain has stopped beating down on me.

The sound of soft laughter followed, as did a hand on my shoulder.

“It’s me, silly!”

Agent Sparkle!

I asked her, “What are you doing here?” Her smile, warmed me, making me forget my miserable situation.

“I hope that you don’t mind, but I hacked into your mission logs and found out that you would be here. I headed off your asset and got the bottle from him. let’s go find somewhere warm and cozy to open this baby up!”

With that, my spirits were elevated. Within a few minutes we were at our nearest safehouse, fireplace blazing, wine decanted, soft music playing in the background.

For the balance of the evening we thoroughly enjoyed Bart O’Brien’s exquisite Seduction while chatting, laughing and [REDACTED].

If you are looking to lift the spirits of someone you love, or want the perfect wine for your romantic encounters, this wine is highly recommended!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the O’Brien Estate vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.