Wow, this weekend we had a great wine experience. Popped a steak on the grill and pulled out a dusty cabernet from a long-ago trip to Napa.
RustRidge is an interesting winery/bed and breakfast/ranch located in Chiles Canyon not terribly far from Napa. We found them at a ZAP silent auction when I bid on a dinner package at the winery. Frankly, I'd never heard of RustRidge, but it was a good price and I do love to bid... so the rest is history!
We took a pair of friends and spent the weekend at the B&B. Susan, the proprietor, made us an amazing dinner paired with RustRidge wines. Add to an incredible culinary experience some stables of race horses and the earthy, practical nature of the owners, stable hands and other staff, and we were in love. We had the rare opportunity to take a ride on a couple of the horses (I understand this is no longer allowed), who were retired racers and some of the most responsive horses I've had the pleasure of riding.
Don't get me wrong - RustRidge B&B isn't for everyone. It's rustic. When we drove up, we had our doubts. But wow, what a diamond in the rough.
Which brings me to Saturday's dinner. Steak, and a '95 RustRidge Cabernet. This wine was good young, so I was a little worried we had waited too long. A beautiful, dark purplish color was a good sign. Swirled, inhaled - and got a noseful of candied cherry that I didn't want to stop smelling. So far so good... and we weren't disappointed when we tasted. Tangy cherry flavor and a hint of spiciness complemented the still evident American oak. Not really very acidic at all. Would be delicious on its own but was also great with our steak spiced with Prudhomme's Meat Magic.
Another win for the wine closet. Makes me wonder if we will ever spring for an expensive wine fridge.
