Cabernet Sauvignon, 2017. Miracle on the Wire

Bill and Vickie Widin are behind this organic Cabernet from the Hunter Valley in Australia. The Hunter Valley is the oldest winemaking region in Australia dating back to the pioneering efforts of James Busby in the early 1800's. The Widins started making wine in 2008 at Brokenback Vineyard in addition to their work as cattle ranchers. The vineyards were first planted the 1970s and 1980s and since 2010 the state-of-the art Miracle on the Wire has been home to luxury accommodations and a restaurant featuring beef from the Widin's ranch.

All of Miracle on the Wires' wines are made using sustainable farming practices that are essential in a region with little or no rain rainfall. The grapes are then crushed and de-stemmed and allowed to cold settle for 24 hours. The wine is then inoculated with yeast and ferment begins. Fermentation lasts 10 -12 days with temperatures reaching 85 degrees Fahrenheit. The ferments are pumped over twice per day enhancing the natural red and purple color typical of this variety. Finally, the wine is transferred to 500-liter French Oak barrels for 20 months of maturation. This wine is a vibrant purple-violet in the glass. The nose is full of dark fruit and spices. Followed by prominent notes of blackberry and currant on the palate complemented by fine grained chalky tannins. A sensible amount of French oak on the finish culminates in the seamless structure and length of this wine.

It is unsurprising that a wine made by ranchers would make the perfect dinner companion for dry aged beef or flank steak prepared in a skillet with a rosemary butter sauce. A soft herb salad of arugula, cilantro, parsley, mint, dill, and purslane with cool fingerling potatoes is the perfect accompaniment.

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