Over the weekend, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a wine tasting featuring several Flora Springs Wines.  The readers of this website will notice that I have always had kind remarks for this producer, particularly with regards to it's regular bottlings which are attractivley priced.  This wine tasting included samples of the 2002 Trilogy, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and a couple of Chardonnays.  Each was beautiful, and well priced.  I bough several bottles for my own personal cellar.

The highlight of the evening was when the fellow behind the counter reached below the table and poured me a sample of a wine that was not part of the regular wine tasting.  It was sort of a secret stash hidden from public view.  He must have gathered from my comments that I really like wine, especially terroir driven Cabernets.  Afterall, I was standing next to the pouring table for at least 45 minutes blabbering non-stop to the friends I was with about all the different cabs that I enjoy.  The wine he poured me turned out to be their 2002 Flora Springs Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Reserve.  The wine is from estate vineyars on Komes Ranch in the Rutherford area of Napa Valley.  This is one of the valley's premier growing locations for cabs.  The wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and is aged in oak barrels for 21 months (75% of the barrels are new French oak).

The wine is elegant and full bodied.  It has wonderful aromatics of crushed plums, blackberries, and sweet tobacco.  This is followed by a fairly fruit forward wine with abundant tannin that is so well integrated you hardly know its there.  The tannins are soft and sweet.  The finish is long and smooth.  Clearly this is a wine that is designed for long term cellaring, yet for some reason, it is drinking wonderfully right now.  You can't go wrong with this wine.

As one would expect, quality like this does not come cheaply.  The wine retails at the same price point as other super-premium California cabs, such as Silver Oak Napa, Berringer Private Reserve, Rovert Mondavi Reserve, and Stag's Leap Fay Vineards.  It is considerably less costly than other wines of competitive quality such as Caymus Special Selection, Opus One, SLWC Cask 23,  and so on.  In my opinion, the 2002 Flora Springs Hillside Reserve wine would probably outscore all of these in a truly blinded taste test.  If anyone wants to sponser such a test, I would be first in line to volunteer as a test subject!! (Any wealthy wine lovers want to step up to the plate for sponsorship of such an event?)

If your budget allows indulgences such as super-premium California Cabernet, you owe it to yourself to try this wine.  If your budget is a little tighter, you might want to consider the standard Flora Springs Napa Cabernet, which is quite lovely, and can be found in the mid 20 dollar range.
 
It's easy to review wines you get for free at a wine tasting, but the real test is how you vote with your wallet!  For the record, my friend and I both ordered a half case of the regular Flora Springs Napa Cab, 2 bottles each of the 2002 Flora Springs Wild Boar Cab (not reviewed here), and for a splurge, one bottle each of the Hillside Reserve.  If my budget would have allowed, I would have certainly ordered more. 

2002 Flora Springs Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Hillside Reserve:  4.5 stars

 

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