2004 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon

Recently I stopped in a Houston wine bar called “Cova” and had a great time. The staff was knowledgeable and the selection was very good. Our server for the afternoon was named Alex and he did an excellent job. This is a first class wine bar, in my opinion. I can’t wait to visit again.

The afternoon that we were there they were running a special on one of their higher end Cabs. My wife and I couldn’t resist trying a half price glass of the 2004 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon Alex was pouring.

This is a big, full Napa Cabernet, but not as overpowering as some examples of this varietal, but you wouldn’t guess at its subtlety by looking at it in the glass. It has an inky darkness in the center turning to a deep, rich ruby color around the edges.

The nose is big, as well, with Cassis, mint, leather, tobacco and hints of roasted meat. Those notes carry over into the flavor, but take a back seat to some huge fruit flavors. Plum, figs, ripe blackberries and black cherries are mixed with the more subtle tobacco and leather notes. It has very smooth tannins to balance out the fruit and give it a very silky feeling in the mouth.

This wine is delicious by itself but is fantastic when paired with strong cheeses and spiced, fatty meats. One type of salami with a very large visible fat presence was especially spectacular.

We enjoyed it so much we took a bottle home with us. As we bought the bottle at Cova for $65 we assumed that, like at most wine bars, we had probably paid too much for the convenience of not having to search it out. We were very pleasantly surprised to find that the lowest price we found online was a whopping $2 less. Very impressive.

View Comments to “2004 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon”

1. John Martin Says:
   April 14th, 2008 at 11:21 am

   Cova is a great place. It’s run by Monsterville Horton one of only two CWEs who call Houston home.

   The bottle selection is great, but the best part is the choice of flights. Each one has a theme and each one needs exploring.

   Cova’s by the bottle prices are reasonable but, of course, they can’t match Spec’s selection or overall expertise. Come to Cova for food and wine and company.

2. John Martin Says:
   April 14th, 2008 at 12:21 pm

   Cova is a great place. It’s run by Monsterville Horton one of only two CWEs who call Houston home.

   The bottle selection is great, but the best part is the choice of flights. Each one has a theme and each one needs exploring.

   Cova’s by the bottle prices are reasonable but, of course, they can’t match Spec’s selection or overall expertise. Come to Cova for food and wine and company.

3. Joe Power Says:
   April 16th, 2008 at 5:29 pm

   I agree. It is my new favorite wine bar in Houston.

4. Joe Power Says:
   April 16th, 2008 at 6:29 pm

   I agree. It is my new favorite wine bar in Houston.

5. Semi-Random, Semi-Wine-Related Thoughts | another wine blog Says:
   December 14th, 2008 at 11:14 am

   [...] between decent wine and very good wine can be quite huge. Last night I stopped at one of my favorite Houston wine bars, Cova, and was quite contentedly drinking a perfectly decent Dry Creek Zinfandel when one of the guys [...]

6. Wines from the Presidential Inaugural Luncheon | another wine blog Says:
   January 20th, 2009 at 8:28 am

   [...] all the on-line databases at our local wine merchants and came up with nil. My brother suggested Cova and I discovered that the Sauvignon Blanc was listed on their by-the-glass menu. Since Cova is on [...]

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