2011 Mark Herold Cabernet Sauvignon Brown Label

(Mark Herold's "second wine"): Bright ruby-red. Sappy aromas of medicinal red fruits, mocha, fresh herbs and pepper. Supple, spicy and slightly herbal, but with ripe, harmonious acidity giving the wine very good balance. Finishes with lightly saline tannins and a repeating note of herbs. Herold notes that he also makes a third cabernet wine.

Mark Herold's 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Herold is nicely layered in the glass. Blackberry jam, blueberry jam, cloves, licorice, sweet spices and menthol all take shape in a tasty, medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with fine balance and energy. The tannins need another year or two in barrel to fully soften, but there is a lot to like here. Like a lot of 2011s, the style is restrained relative to the norm.

The lighter-styled 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Herold exhibits plenty of licorice, forest floor, underbrush, cedar and red and black currant characteristics. The wine’s soft tannins and low acidity suggest it can be consumed over the next 7-8 years. Mark Herold, a well-known consultant, first came to my attention because of the brilliant wines he produced under the name Merus, a brand that has been sold. He now fashions a line-up of interesting and off-beat, hip wines that are priced realistically for as good as they are. His selections called Flux, Acha and Collide are usually blends ranging from white Rhone varietals to red Rhone and Spanish varietals. At the top of the line are his flagship Cabernet Sauvignons called Herold and Herold by Mark Herold. The red wines include three vintages of the Flux, all basically 67-68% Grenache, 15-20% Carignan and the rest Petite Sirah in the case of the 2009, Syrah in the 2010, and Mourvedre in the 2011. Herold produces 1,200-2,000 cases of these cuvees, and at $30 a bottle, they are well-worth checking out. Mark Herold’s homage to Spain are his three vintages of Acha, which is made primarily from Tempranillo. At $40 a bottle, these are very good wines. The three vintages of Collide also bear a California appellation, but their blends differ dramatically in each vintage. Tel. (707) 256-3111