Behrens & Hitchcock Cemetery Red, Napa Valley, USA

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No doubt the famous movie director, Tim Burton, would love the label on the 2003 Cemetery. This blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot tips the scales at 15.6% alcohol. While it won’t drive a nail or two in your coffin, it has a lot going for it. Gorgeous notes of blueberry liqueur, flowers, pepper and spice soar from the glass of this deadly serious, rich, complex wine. With velvety tannins, a full-bodied texture (so much for skeletons not having any guts) and a long finish, I could drink this still young 2003 until the zombies come home. It is a real beauty from Les Behrens and his merry crew of wine producers. There’s nothing macabre about the 2003 Cemetery. I have seen rumors circulating on the blogs alleging a problem with the Behrens-Hitchcock synthetic closures in the winery’s early days, but all of these wines were finished with real cork. This has always been one of my favorite wineries to visit, a great family operation of young to middle-aged wine and food lovers trying to do the best they can, eschewing any arrogance given their serious talent. In short, consumers benefit from high level amateur winemaking and intense viticultural knowledge. It is hard to know in what order to taste these wines, but here goes. Tel. (707) 963-1774

From a vineyard adjacent to St. Helena’s graveyard, the 2003 Cemetery is a drop-dead blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. A big, black currant, spice box, lead pencil shavings, and earth-scented bouquet is followed by a deep, rich, pure, elegant wine with a well-integrated oak component. Drink it over the next 8-12 years. I can’t say enough good things about Behrens and Hitchcock. This is the type of winery operation that gives hope to aspiring home winemakers who want to make it in the big time. They have followed their dreams, unearthed top vineyards that were available to everybody, and are making non-interventionalistic wines of extraordinary personality and character.Tel. 707-963-1774; Fax 707-963-8206