A Napa Meritage
Yountville, Napa Valley, California, USA
Wine Style: Meritage, New World
Average Price: $$
Overall Rating: 85 points
Article Written in August 2013
Article Updated: February 2020
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Château or Vineyard Owner:
Mitch Cosentino
While touring Napa, I came across Cosentino Winery by chance. I had a bottle of their wine several years before, but until actually passing the winery while driving down Highway 29, and seeing the sign, I remembered that I had drunk some of their wine before. It was almost five o’clock in the afternoon, and most wineries in Napa were closing. I was on my way back to the hotel. I had stopped by several wineries that day from Gustavo Winery, Stag’s Leap Winery, Silver Oak Cellars, and the Ghost Block Vineyard, so how I was still able to drive amazed even me. The sign for the winery indicated they were open until 6 PM, so what the hell, one more winery that day was not going to kill me.
Cosentino Winery was founded in 1980 with its inaugural vintage released in 1981 under the labels of Cosentino Wine Company and Crystal Valley Cellars. The first several wines produced and released by Cosentino in the early 1980s were made from small lots of grapes acquired from some growers on California's North Coast counties including Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, and Sacramento Counties. Cosentino Winery is widely recognized for its role in the development of California's Meritage style wine, a Bordeaux inspired blend that is now a staple throughout the Napa Valley. In 1989 Cosentino’s release of “The Poet” (1986 vintage), was one of America’s first designated and licensed Meritage wines. The Cosentino Estate Merlot is a very rare release and will only be harvested when the conditions for the year are perfect. Since 1997, only five vintages have been released: 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2001 and the last vintage, 2005, was released to Wine Club in 2009.
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| Cosentino Winery / Tasting House |
At the Cosentino Tasting room, I enjoyed several selections that they had to offer, but the wine that tantalized my taste buds was their “Poet” Meritage blend. This Bordeaux style blend was a mixture of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. This was a very smooth wine, light and not too complex, which was a refreshing change from the other tastings I had that day throughout Napa Valley, which consisted of straight Cabernet Sauvignon. Of the many selections I tasted, I enjoyed the Poet the most. This wine will stand up to steak cuts like ribeye, but also some poultry and fish dishes like duck and halibut.
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| Cosentino Winery / The Poet Meritage |
Wine and Grape:
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Nose (Bouquet):
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Palate Experience:
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“The Poet” Meritage Blend
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Winemaker Notes:
Rich aromas of currants and blueberries are embellished with distinct nuances of cedar and spice.
80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot
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Winemaker Notes:
A palate of dense, fruity, and balanced flavors that displays tart cherry and currants. The finish develops nicely, highlighting pomegranate, spice and polished ripe tannins.
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Cosentino Winery M. Coz, Meritage
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Winemaker Notes:
Big, rich and complex with excellent structure and aromas of vanilla, black cherry, sweet spice, and subtle herbs. Extended barrel aging provides a smooth texture balance and fresh mouthwatering acidity on the palate. 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, 14% Merlot, 5% Malbec
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Winemaker Notes:
"On the palate, the wine is very rich and complex with excellent structure, yet the extensive barrel aging has contributed an amazingly smooth texture. The balance is precise and this will age well for another decade." - Mitch Cosentino
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Final notes, review basics, and observations:
*** NOTE TO THE READER ***
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about.
To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
I refer to myself as an oenophile though, oenophilia is defined as “a disciplined devotion to wine, accompanying strict traditions of consumption and appreciation.” In a general sense, oenophilia also refers to the enjoyment of wine, often by a layman — which I am, and not qualified as a professional. I just enjoy drinking it, so my rating is based on enjoyment and the overall experience, not the science of an expert, and thus subjective, not objective. See the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ on how I arrived at the rating percentage below:
Overall Star Rating For WINERY NAME:
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85/100:
Exceeded All My Expectations
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83/100 (1994 review)
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94/100
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Wines Produced by NAME:
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Red: Meritage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, and
Sangiovese
White: Chardonnay, and White Meritage
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Grape Blends:
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Red:
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, & Cabernet Franc
White:
Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon or Muscadelle du Bordelais
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Barrel Types and Aging:
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36 months
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| Cosentino winery / Barrel Aging and Casks |
Wine regulatory’s for the tastings in this article:
“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is the strength, in the water there are bacteria.” - David Auerbach
United States:
California:
Other Yountville wines, wineries (Château’s), or food articles on Wine Dine and Play:
The French Laundry French-American fine dining restaurant in Yountville, California
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
A Few New World Favorites:
New World wines are those wines produced outside the traditional wine-growing areas of Europe and the Middle East, in particular from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa, United States (California, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington State + others), and Uruguay.
Bergström Wines Kings of Pinot in Newburg, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Biltmore Estate Local and California grapes produced in Asheville, North Carolina
Coldstream Hills Vineyard A Taste of James Halliday in Gruyere, Yarra Valley, Australia
Kamen Estates Low yield, high quality + film writing in Sonoma, California
Ken Forrester A focus on the Rhône vs Bordeaux Meritage in Stellenbosch, South Africa
Pillitteri Winery Noted ice-wines in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
Some Old World Favorites:
Old World wine refers primarily to wine made in Europe but can also include other regions of the Mediterranean basin with long histories of winemaking such as North Africa and the Near East. These countries include Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and Turkey.
Boas Quintas Wine One winemaker, various regions and wines, in Giesta Dão, Mortágua, Portugal
Bordeaux - A Sip and Taste Wine tours and restaurants in Bordeaux, France
Château Mont-Redon A Châteauneuf-du-Pape producer in the Côtes du Rhône, France
Clos de Vougeot The vineyard of Cistercian monks at the Cîteaux Abbey in Burgundy, France
Domaine Hubart Brouchard Wines Sancerre wines in the Loire Valley, France
Jordan River Wines The Haddad Family Vineyards, and a 2000 year history of wine, Amman, Jordan
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
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Bottle Prices
(excluding taxes)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major wine countries and connoisseur’s**
Currency rates in the top wine-producing & wine purchasing countries:
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Price Chart :
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M. Coz, Meritage (750 ml)
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$$$
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Australian Dollar (AUS)
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$$$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£££
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$$$
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
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€€€
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New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
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$$$
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South African Rand (ZAR)
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RRRRR
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“The Poet” Meritage (750 ml)
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£
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European Union (EUR)
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€
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Cost of wine tasting (p/p):
Drop in Tasting: $10.00 - $25.00
Exclusive Tasting: $35.00 - $45.00
Barrel Tasting: $30.00 - $50.00
Cosentino Winery:
7415 Saint Helena Highway
Yountville, CA, 94599
Tasting Room Information:
Website:
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Tasting room:
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+01 707 921 2809
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Website contact:
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Tasting Room Hours:
Pacific Standard Time (GMT, Zulu, or UTC-8:00)
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Monday - Sunday:
10:00 am - 6:00 pm
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Social Media
And
Accolades for Cosentino Winery:
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****
The world's best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
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Swanky French-American Steakhouse chain, reviewed in Atlanta, GA.
New York, New York, USA
|
Sustainable & regional German cuisine
Berlin, Germany
|
Seafood and sushi with panorama views
Cape Point, South Africa
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“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is the strength, in the water there are bacteria.”
- David Auerbach
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
