"Villa des Anges 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon is as remarkable and improbable a wine value as I have tasted in years. Jacqueline Menard de Ginestous (whose estate is officially named Espitalet des Anges) and oenologist Jeff Carrel have done the seemingly impossible – even forgetting the price – by crafting a full-bodied, subtly oily-textured, palpably dense, lip-smacking, not vegetal, yet not sweet Cabernet in the Languedoc. What’s more, there are 15,000 cases of it! Juniper, huckleberry, mint, rosemary, black walnut, dark chocolate, and green olive are prominent in the nose and on the palate, leading to a considerable finish. One-third went through malo-lactic transformation in older barrels, and the rest (including 15% Merlot) was left in tank. The lovely, distinctive label with its maroon angel’s head might remind some wine lovers of 18th century tombstones, but the message in the bottle is anything but macabre. Even if you think a $9 wine is beneath you, you’ll want some of this just to stump other wine snobs in blind tastings. I won’t try to predict how it will age, but certainly you can plan on at least 12-18 months of enjoyment, and who knows, perhaps the 2009 will be even better."

Looking for a great cheese pairing for this wine?
Complexity of this level is best complemented and not paired, the Keen's Cheddar is not a typical cheddar style. Its not sharp and robust as the typical idea of Americanized cheddars, but has a beautiful nutty flavor and crumbly texture. The finish is long, complex, but moderately tangy.

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