At first, you can't wrap your mind around the "Erlenmeyer flask" shaped bottle and the other non-standard elements. Then you think, this must be a clever juxtaposition. Weird bottle, un-weird wine. No one would go to this length to draw attention to bad wine. Then you think, this isn't a wine to lay down, because you can't fit it in your wine rack. Good thing, because who wants to wait? What if you never get around to drinking it? It's better to drink wine, than to continually have to dust it.
The Coppola Companies latest concept wine is Encyclopedia. Now in the top 20 wine companies (ranking by case volume), Coppola is keen to get on, to offer more wines from more regions. The Encyclopedia concept is focused on unearthing wines that truly represent their regions. It appears Coppola isn't afraid to look different (on the outside), if it gets people to try what's inside. It's risky business I suppose. The wine inside better be excellent, and truly represent its region.
Encyclopedia Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 does it. You get plenty of black cherry from start to finish, nice complexity from overtones of herbs and mild oak spice, balanced soft tannins, and a very smooth, some might say elegant, texture. This isn't a monster Cab, rather, it's a very approachable Bordeaux that happens to be a Cab. The alcohol content is less than most California Cabernets. The fruit comes across like preserves. There aren't any rough edges. The finish evolves a restrained hint of vanilla and goes dusty dry as it should. This is a cut above expectations for an under-$15 Bordeaux.
This Cab turned out to be a great match for flank steak; medium-rare, dry-rubbed, pan-seared, grass-fed beef. It didn't overpower the rub, a nice aromatic combination of herbs and spices I probably could never repeat.
Price: $13 (Nashville). Alcohol content: 12.5%. Closure: Screw cap.
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