Reviews & Ratings

2006 Oberon Cabernet Sauvignon "Hillside Reserve"

Winery: Oberon

Vintage: 2006

Wine Name/Vineyard: "Hillside Reserve"

Wine Category: Cabernet Sauvignon

Grape blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Bottle size: 750 ml

Region: Napa Valley

State or country: CA

Price: $75

Cases produced: 1,200

KWG Score: 88 (based on 2 reviews)

Ken's Wine Rating: Very Good+ (91)

Review date: July 27, 2011

Wine Review: This is an update on this wine that was review in Oct. 2009. It is now opaque and dark ruby colored and opens with a mild black currant bouquet with a hint of menthol and black cherry. On the palate, this wine medium to full bodied, slightly acidic, and still initially shows a rather dry mouth feel. Although it softens nicely with air, so decant it. The flavor profile is black currant with notes of ripe blackberry, black cherry, and oak. The finish is quite dry and it's dusty tannins are still very sticky and lengthy. This big boy is coming around and it's tannins are softening and it's fruit is still strong. It would be very nice with a thick ribeye steak. Enjoy - Ken

10/31/09 This dark ruby colored premium Cab opens with a light black cherry bouquet. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, very nicely balanced, rather smooth, and elegant. The flavor profile is a dusty black cherry with hints of cocoa and a dash of black pepper. The finish is quite dry and its moderate tannins linger for a nice extended period of time. We would pair this pleasant wine in the near term with a prime rib. Enjoy – Ken

Winemaker Notes: After gently de-stemming and crushing the fruit, winemakers Rob Mondavi Jr. and Tony Coltrin fermented the free-run juice in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, stretching the post-fermentation maceration period to 28 days. This extended juice-skin contact time beautifully married the intense, dark fruit flavors and mature, supple tannins of our Hillside Reserve, giving the wine an opulent mouthfeel. Malolactic fermentation in barrel, combined with 18 months aging in French oak barrels, 66% new, further concentrated the wine’s big, ripe fruit, adding nuances of coffee and toasted vanilla to its lush, lingering finish. Enjoy this luxurious Cabernet Sauvignon with grilled steak, rib roasts, lamb shanks and venison.

Buy it: Use 1000 Corks to find stores that sell Oberon 2006 Hillside Reserve Cabernet.