SOMMELIER RETREAT

The Murray family moved to Sonoma from the great city of New Orleans and started a winery named after the famous dancing torchbearers of the Big Easy. Ahead of the 2014 vintage, the winery began making small-production wines like this dense, concentrated, 160-case Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaker Ryan Prichard is an up-and-comer in Sonoma winemaking, making a name for himself for stints at Williams Selyem, Copain Custom Crush, and now at Three Sticks. The Flambeaux Sonoma Valley Cabernet is full of the dark fruit that one should expect from Sonoma Valley grapes, with lovely underlying herbal notes and spice from aging for 22 months in French oak. The well-managed tannins give it structure but are not at all aggressive, allowing this wine to be enjoyable in youth, although it will certainly continue to improve in the bottle for a number of years. With acidity and balance, this wine will work beautifully at the table with braised or grilled meats. Written by David Keck, MS