I recently had the pleasure to sit down with a regional manager and representative of Honig Vineyard and Winery to taste a few of the winery’s current releases.
While I enjoyed every wine that I tasted, I will focus on the Napa Valley Cabernet for the purpose of this review since it is the offering that is currently available in the Costco Clubs that I frequent.
Honig is a German family name that means “honey,” hence the honey on the wine label. Honeybees are actually used at the winery to produce honey to contribute to a thriving ecosystem supported by sustainable winegrowing practices.
The 2014 Honig Cabernet from Napa is actually a Bordeaux-style blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Merlot.
One unique aspect of this wine is that it’s aged in 100% American Oak, 40% of which is new. Most Napa Valley cabs are aged in a combination of French and American Oak or in all French Oak barrels. American Oak, generally speaking, contributes notes of toasted coconut and cream soda to wines.
This wine opens with an aroma of black fruits, vanilla, and cassis. A full, sweet dark fruit mid-palate is rounded out by gripping tannins that are softened by the small addition of Merlot. The wine is satisfying and balanced, ready to drink now, or able to be held for an additional five to ten years.
Wine Spectator gave this wine 90 Points and described a “core of currant, blackberry, graphite and licorice” with a “tannic backbone alongside a measure of grace and finesse.”
I was particularly impressed with this wine and the approachability of it that does not sacrifice quality and complexity.
At $39.99 in most Costco locations, I simply must designate this a Good Value Wine and give it 91 Points.
CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 91 Points
Purchased in: Atlanta, GA
ABV: 14.8%
