There's also a lot of sage and just a touch of mint. Right in tow with all that fruit and herbs is the smell of cedar wood.

Cheek-grabbing tannins remind you that this red is too young and rustic to be Prince Charming. But that's not to say it isn't without charm (it's just not soft and delicate like the well-manicured Mr. Charming). It gives a lot of earthy black cherry and wood on the palate. However, after being uncorked and poured in glasses for a while, this youngin' is still pretty closed up, and will definitely come out of its shell with some aging. The finish is medium-length and mostly cherry and oak. The tannins leave your mouth dry, clearing your palate for another bite of whatever they're serving at the ball buffet.

If you've got a good place to keep wine (consistent temperature around 57 degrees Fahrenheit, dark and with bottles lying on their sides - maybe the broom closet), this Foppiano will be much more gregarious in three-to-four years. But, if you drink it tomorrow, you won't turn into a pumpkin. Just make sure you give it plenty of air. If you have a decanter, great. If you don't have a decanter, grab the nearest glass slipper.

Get some of this terrific wine before the clock strikes midnight (really, isn't that a little late to start drinking… on a school night?)

Cheers,
TSW


Foppiano's '97 petite sirah was a great wine, and the '98 was even better. In fact, it was good enough that many wine writers showered it with praise, causing it to disappear off retail shelves faster than Cinderella split from the ball. When at the end of the year "Wine Spectator" magazine named the '98 one of the top 100 wines of the year, it was already pretty much impossible to find. Today, coming across a bottle of it is the stuff that fairy tales are made of.

Still, this Wine of the Week is one with which you can "live happily ever after."

Once upon a time (and thankfully that time is right now) there lived the 1999 Foppiano cabernet sauvignon - a fantastic wine that has the misfortune of living in the shadow of the popular petite sirah.

The color of this cab is just about as dark as most wineries' petite sirahs. There's just a hint of purple in it, and the depth of color holds on right to the edge.

The nose has tons of berry, currant and big black fruit. (I've never eaten "black fruit," but that's the best way I can describe this brooding, yet fruity wine.)