DEFINTION: Cuvée – [KOO-vay] a word derived from the French “cuve” meaning “contents of a vat” that outside of France usually refers to a blended wine produced using a special (and often secret) formula. A cuvée can be comprised of wines from different vineyards or different grape varieties.
This past week I discovered a great bottle of wine in the cool basement cupboard that masquerades as our wine cellar. It was (or is) the 2005 “Sarah’s Blend” from Marquis Philips.
I didn’t buy it so I’m guessing it arrived as a gift from a friend over for dinner. I would check for fingerprints and run the prints against my extensive database of chefs and foodies, but by now my own prints are all over the bottle.
The problem is that I’ve only been able to nurse this one bottle for a few nights, and now I’m down to the dregs. I want more. Thus the APB: All Points Bulletin. If you happened to be the one who brought it over for dinner, let me know. If you know where I might still find a few bottles from the 2005 vintage, let me know.
And since this is an APB I should include a description as well as a picture. Here is how the the Wine Advocate describes this bottled beauty:
“One of my favorite Marquis Philips cuvees is the 2005 Sarah’s Blend, a concoction of 60% Shiraz, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc fermented in wood and aged in both new and one-year-old French and American oak. Its deep ruby/purple hue is accompanied by aromas of flowers, spice box, blueberries, black currants, and smoky oak. Opulent, voluptuous, and full-bodied, with low acidity and sweet tannin, this is a blockbuster red that sells for a song. If you like fruit, flavor, and character, this is a big-time winner to drink over the next 3-4 years.”
