St. Clement Oroppas 2005

one of the fun things about a big wine festival is getting the opportunty to taste wines that you might not ordinarily try because they don't quite fit into your budget. oroppas, a napa valley cab, is one such wine selling for about $45-50 a bottle. the nose was very nice, with aromas of blueberries, cherries, chocolate and spice coming through. the palate was black cherries, raspberries and dark chocolate up front. the tannins are silky and the long finish is highlighted with hints of pepper and more dark chocolate. an exquisite red that left me wanting more. every once in a while i will spend a little extra to get a real nice wine, and this one will be on my list of wines i would like to buy when i can afford it.