Kuyam Cuvee Nolan Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard 2006

The 2006 Kuyam Cuvee Nolan, named for Dave and Becky’s son Nolan, is a mere 270 case production. It is a blend of five red Bordeaux varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon (45%), Cabernet Franc (25%), Merlot (26%), Petite Verdot (2%), and Malbec (2%) all from Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard. The 2006 Kuyam Cuvee Nolan offers a beautiful purple robe, a complex bouquet of forest blackberries, cassis, boxwood and unsmoked tobacco, as well as plenty of palate-pleasing flavors. Medium to full-bodied, the 2006 Kuyam Cuvee Nolan is an exceptional meritage offering that drinks like first class Bordeaux. Two years in barrel with 30% of the blend in new wood has given this wine a refined patina and just the right amount of tannin to assure an additional 5-10 years of pleasure. Drink it now or lay it away for several more years. For optimal enjoyment we suggest decanting this exceptional meritage, as it will precipitate natural sediment. We also suggest that you allow it at least thirty minutes of aeration before serving at cool room temperature (no more than 65° F). Enjoy!

As a sophisticated and complex Bordeaux-style wine, the 2006 Kuyam Cuvee Nolan pairs especially well with poultry, pork, and prime cuts of beef. Thin slices of rare beef tenderloin and portabella mushrooms; marinated pork tenderloin grilled to perfection and served with caramelized onions; or roast chicken, stuffed with a savory wild rice all make splendid accompaniments to this wine. Prime Rib of beef or a bone-in veal chop prepared with a tasty brown sauce and served with mashed potatoes, haricots verts, and braised pearl onions affords an additional opportunity to showcase the beauty of the 2006 Kuyam Cuvee Nolan. And if a bit of Cuvee Nolan should survive the main course, consider finishing it with a selection of French cheeses that include Cantal, Port Salut or Reblochon.

Many of California’s most interesting, palate pleasing, and compelling wines emanate from small boutique wineries that produce such limited quantities of their liquid gems that few wine lovers ever have the opportunity to taste them. Long-time International Wine of the Month Club members will attest to the fact that craft wine producers do indeed fashion some of the finest wines in America, as our members have often been recipients of many theretofore undiscovered treasures from boutique family wineries. On that note, it is our pleasure to present to you this month our latest discovery – Kuyam Cuvee Nolan from Core Wine Company.

Kuyam Cuvee Nolan is the handiwork of Dave and Becky Corey and their Core Wine Company, a venture they launched in 2001. Before beginning Core Wine Company, Dave worked with Cambria Winery and Vineyards and Kendall-Jackson Vineyards of Santa Barbara County before beginning Vital Vines, a viticultural company providing technical support for vineyard property owners, vineyard managers and winemaking personnel in the promotion of sustainable agriculture. Dave has worked with such clients as Laetitia, Barnwood, Beckmen, Melville, Stolpman, Gainey, Zaca Mesa, Sea Smoke, Le Bon Climat, Rusack, Sine Qua Non, and Westerly among others – not exactly a paltry portfolio of wineries. Meanwhile, Becky has worked for the Robert Mondavi owned Byron Winery in multiple areas of hospitality, public relations and sales & marketing, as well as for Laetitia Vineyard & Winery in Arroyo Grande as Director of Public Relations. She is also responsible for Core Wine Company’s striking label designs, which include her original artwork, as well as all sales and marketing. Core Wine Company is, after all, a family affair that specializes in fashioning excellent Bordeaux and Rhône style blends.