The Coppola Diamond Collection Claret Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Merlot sourced from grapes grown in Coppola estate vineyards, Sonoma, Napa and Eldorado AVA’s (Eldorado AVA is located inside the Sierra Foothills AVA). Claret is the British term for Bordeaux Red blend wines, in California, Bordeaux blends are called Meritage (rhymes with “heritage” – don’t “French” it up) wines. Since 76% of the grapes used are Cabernet Sauvignon this wine can legally be labeled simply a Cabernet Sauvignon, but all the approved Bordeaux Red grapes are mixed in except Malbec and Carmenere (both are approved grapes, but are rarely used in Bordeaux these days). The Coppola Claret is aged for 12 months in French oak and the alcohol content is 13.5%.
The color is shiny, bright crimson red. The nose is ripe red berries, raspberry and strawberry, black cherry, plum, toasted vanilla and light spice. The Coppola Claret is sleek with deep, rich flavor. It starts with blackberry, dark chocolate, molasses and plum. The mid-palate adds cranberry and licorice. The tannins are smooth and do not bite, the acidity is well-balanced by the body of the wine. The finish which features blackberry and chocolate powder takes it time to slowly fade away.
The Coppola Diamond Collection Claret Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 is a serious wine, but even casual wine drinkers can understand its merits. The last few vintages in California have shown both excellent quality and abundant yields, which allows the Coppola Claret to be both reasonably priced while offering a real bang for the buck. Plus not only does it taste great, the bottle is wrapped in golden thread, so it looks good, too.
sample
