The wines featured in our newsletter are chosen during a marathon tasting of some 200 wines in an eight-hour stretch. Our wine staff tastes one wine after another, dubbing each one a “yes,” “no” or “maybe.” At the conclusion of any tasting, we rarely have more than 3 or 4 wines that have received unanimous yes votes. It’s true: we’re a tough crowd. But the Joseph Carr Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon easily made the cut. Never before had we tasted honest-to-goodness Napa Valley Cab at such a low price. We were giddy at the discovery. It was no surprise to find that Joseph Carr sources grapes only from vineyards that express the unique terroir of their sites. Carr maintains that “wine should be elegant yet affordable. After all, it is for many of us part of a lifestyle meant to be shared and enjoyed with others.” The 2003 Cabernet was aged for 24 months in French and American oak barrels and boasts plum, cherry, brown spice and cedar box aromas. The oak is exceptionally well integrated and the wine pleasingly balanced. Ready now, it should also age gracefully for years.