Baer Winery Arctos 09

Review:

Cassis and sweet black cherry, stuffed full of richness, Arctos is one of the best Cab blends I've tasted in years. Cola spice, herb-inflected tannins, savory deliciousness. While more attention has been lavished on Ursa, Arctos is every bit as spectacular and will likely enjoy a longer life in the cellar. - Marcus

Baer's Arctos is a blend to be reckoned with, the next evolution of Arctos is bolder than before. Structured, with more tannins than its companion blend Ursa. Concentrated and fleshy, the finish is plush and long carried on the nose by ripe blackberry and cassis, followed by espresso and roasted herb. - Erica

65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Petit Verdot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot

2008 Vintage

The Arctos is a companion to Ursa, Baer's other red blend which was just awarded 95 points by Wine Spectator. Arctos is driven by Cabernet Sauvignon. This dark red wine is deep and rich and has notes of plum, black cherry, black currant, and blueberry. Flavors include bay leaf, roasted coffee, sweet oak and black olive. The fine grained tannins persist through the smooth finish.

When the Arctos' sister wine, Ursa, was selected as Wine Spectator's #6 wine in the 2011 Top 100, our phone lines and inboxes were jammed with requests. Of course, the Ursa 08 is long, long gone but you should really check out the Arctos. Heck, we liked it better, and chose it for our Big Reds wine club! It's the Cab-heavy blend of the two, with a bigger backbone.