Moone Tsai Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, 750ml

Country: USA

Grape Varietal: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petite Verdot, 6% Cab Franc, 3% Merlot

Tasting Note:
Alluringly ruby red in the glass, the perfume of black fruit and rose petal is unmistakable.

Fresh, focused, and direct, the wine bristles with an underlying tension that is both disarming and intriguing. Cassis, sweet oak, and a hint of cherry cola coalesce against a pleasing backdrop of medium acidity and silky tannins.

The wine finishes handsomely with a rhythmic undulation reminiscent of the backbeat present in Duke Ellington’s masterpiece “Caravan” brought to life in the closing scenes of the acclaimed psychological thriller, Whiplash, featuring a young Miles Teller, who plays his heart (and hands) out as a jazz-drummer-prodigy aspiring to become the next Buddy Rich. Pitted against the film’s nemesis, a maniacal instructor (played by the inimitable J.K. Simmons), the screenplay plays out brilliantly, leaving the viewer breathless until Nieman’s final performance signals victory, but at questionable personal sacrifice. Beyond this, we come to appreciate that appropriate accolades ensued, most notably, via the AMPAAS (Oscars), Golden Globes, et al.