Wine Review

Clos Pegase Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Though the winery takes its name from a Greek myth, Clos Pegase’s winemaking triumphs are rooted in fact, as the immense popularity of its wines over the past two decades continues to prove. Like the tales of Homer, founder Jan Shrem’s destiny took many turns. While a graduate student at UCLA in the mid-1950s, he traveled to Japan, where he fell in love with his wife, Mitsuko. He remained in that country for the next 13 years, making his living by importing English-language textbooks during Japan’s post-war renaissance. By 1980, he decided to sell his company, which, at that point, employed 2,000. Both Jan and Mitsuko were interested in wine, and, funded by his profits from the sale, they moved to Bordeaux, where he studied enology. The couple then moved to California, where, in 1983, they purchased 50 acres in Calistoga, which they named for Pegasus, the winged horse whose hoof, when it touched ground, gave rise to the spring of the Muses on Mount Helicon.

Over the years, the Shrems have continued to build upon this classical caprice, making classically styled Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, Merlots and Cabernet Sauvignons from their vineyards, which now cover more than 400 acres. The Clos Pegase Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 ($33) is a textbook example of Napa’s best-loved varietal. Vibrant black cherry and plum aromas pique the senses, while the wine’s velvety texture paints the palate with flavors of toasted oak, mocha and sweet tobacco.

Clos Pegase, 707-942-4981; clospegase.com.

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