Call Me a Cab Preview: 2005 PreVail Back Forty

Many wine collectors have a few special bottles that they hang on to for a special occasion or to share with close friends or family. Many of these special bottles are Cabernet Sauvignon and can age for years, but you have to drink them sometime.

Last Saturday, my parents generously shared a couple bottles of 2005 PreVail Back Forty Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from their wine collection. You can think of it as a preview of Call Me a Cab night (see our post). Sally and I are hosting a Call Me a Cab party this Saturday, May 19 and my parents are hosting a Call Me a Cab party of their own. Fortunately, they held this wine out of the party and shared it with us instead.

PreVail is a sub-label of Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery that focuses on Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2005 Back Forty is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that's grown on a 40 acre vineyard in Alexander Valley, which is a part of California's Sonoma Valley wine region. They didn't spend a lot of time coming up with the "Back Forty" name, but they put all the time they needed into making this wonderful wine.

It has a very "Cab" smell, which is herbaceous with a bit of fruit. The taste seemed perfectly balanced with hints of raspberry and blackberry and well-structured tannins that kick in mid-palate. The wine is silky smooth with plenty of complexity, but without being overpowering. We enjoyed it with Chateaubriand at Duane's Prime Steaks and Seafood at Riverside's Mission Inn. Another treat indeed.

If you have a special bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon you've been saving, consider sharing it at a Call Me a Cab party of your own. Or, perhaps you'll soon find a special occasion where the wine can make an appearance. Whatever you do, remember that shared bottles are the best bottles.