Casa Madero Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 hails from the oldest estate winery in North America, located in Mexico's Valle de Parras, a historic wine region in the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains.
It's made from hand-harvested grapes that are grown at nearly 5,000 feet. The altitude offers a relatively cooler climate for the region, yielding a balanced wine with good acidity and a moderate alcohol level. Aged in new French oak for 24 months, the wine has good structure with well-integrated tannins. The palate shows ripe dark fruit — including berries, fig and black cherry — and notes of spice and eucalyptus that linger in the finish.
Although most of Mexico's wine comes from the Baja Peninsula, the small Valle de Parras has a long history of successful grape growing: It's the oldest wine-producing region in Mexico and North America. Jesuit missionaries settled the area in 1594, drawn by the valley's abundant springs, rivers and wild vines from which they began making wine. In 1597, Spain's King Felipe II authorized a land grant of the property now known as Casa Madero, for the express purpose of planting vineyards to produce wine and brandy.
In 1893, the vineyard estate was renamed Casa Madero, after its purchase by Evaristo Madero. After subsequent sales of the estate, the Casa Madero name has remained.
Casa Madero's Cabernet Sauvignon Gran Reserva makes a good accompaniment for beef and pork dishes. It's also an especially fitting wine for toasting Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 16. The wine sells for about $35 at Pogo's, Dallas Fine Wine and Goody Goody on Harry Hines. It's also on the wine list at Mi Día From Scratch and Hugo's Invitados.
Tina Danze is a Dallas freelance writer.
