Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2010 The Cenosilicaphobic Cat Sagrantino Cinsault has moderately intense notes of mulberries, black plums and blackberries with hints of dried thyme, black pepper and soy. Medium-bodied with very crisp acidity, the wine’s medium to high levels of chewy tannins place a structured emphasis on the black berry and earth flavors before finishing with a medium to long persistence. Drink it now to 2015+. Importer: Old Bridge Cellars, Napa, CA, www.oldbridgecellars.com

A blend of 90% Sagrantino and 10% Cinsault, the 2009 The Cenosilicaphobic Cat Sagrantino Cinsault gives a deep garnet color and earthy / meaty aromas of damp loam, tobacco, salami and moss covered logs over a core of warm red plums and mulberries. Medium to full bodied, it gives a medium level of chewy tannins and crisp acidity, finishing long and earthy. Drinking now, it should remain good to 2015. The d’Arenberg winery is 100 years old with a fourth generation Osbourne in charge today of this now considerable operation. Graduated from Roseworthy College in 1983, Chester was expected by his father to change things when he took over the family business. Instead he went back to tradition rather than modernizing. In the d’Arenberg vineyards there is no cultivating, fertilizing or herbicides used – Chester compares these artificial means to growing plants hydroponically. Looking to continually improve the root systems of his vines, he rarely irrigates. Average yields are 1.7 tons per acre. “2011 was actually a great year for us,” Chester informed me. “We didn’t have any problems with rot.”Importer: Old Bridge Cellars, Napa, CA, www.oldbridgecellars.com

This blend of 91% Sagrantino and 9% Cinsault is unique. It’s tarry and leathery, with hints of prune, vanilla and clove, but it’s more about the soft but plentiful tannins that leave behind a slightly furry feel. BTW, Cenosillicaphobia is the fear of an empty glass. ——J.C.(5/1/2011)—— 88