Description

Maison Noir In Sheep’s Clothing Cabernet Sauvignon

Founded by sommelier André Hueston Mack in 2007, Maison Noir’s wines are unique and distinctive garage wines, initially created for some of the New York’s best restaurants for whom Mack was a sommelier, and now available nationwide.

Despite having a successful career with Citicorp Investment Services, André Hueston Mack decided to leave his “desk job” to pursue his passion for wine. While working as a sommelier in San Antonio, Mack discovered the joys of introducing guests to the little known vineyards that first attracted him to the business and “the instant gratification of a guest’s reaction.” While still in Texas, Mack was awarded the prestigious title of Best Young Sommelier in America by the highly regarded Chaine des Rotisseurs. This recognition propelled him into the opportunity to work as a sommelier at Thomas Keller’s world-renowned The French Laundry in Yountville, California. Mack went on to accept the position of Head Sommelier at Keller’s equally famed Per Se in New York City, where he managed a 1800 selection award-winning wine list and consulted with Chef Keller on menu and pairing development regularly. Winemaking has always been a dream of his and came to fruition when he set up shop under the moniker of Maison Noir Wines.

Throughout his career Mack has forged unique relationships with luminary growers and winemakers from around the planet. It is with this prestigious group that Mack currently creates his wines.

The name is a hat tip to Alonzo Harris: “to protect the sheep, you gotta catch the wolf, and it takes a wolf to catch a wolf.”

The fruit for this wine comes from Columbia Valley.  60% from the Red Mountain AVA and 40% from the Wahluke Slope AVA. After fermentation the wine spends 10 months aging in barrel, 25% of which is new French oak. Only 2,500 cases are produced.

In Sheep’s Clothing delivers a ripeness of fruit flavors while preserving the acidity that gives the medium to full-bodied wine a sense of freshness. With layers of cassis, blueberries, and black cherries, this wine lends to a New World style of fruit with more of an Old World structure with a hint of wood smoke. This wine fully embraces an integral part of classic Cabernet Sauvignon by highlighting a complex blend of dried herbs: anise, thyme and bay leaf.

Maison Noir In Sheep’s Clothing Cabernet Sauvignon Notes To Your Senses:

• APPEARANCE: Deep purple
• AROMA: Layers of dark fruit hints of oak
• TASTE: Cassis, blueberries, black cherries with hints of wood smoke and dried herbs
• FINISH: Lingering with well-integrated tannins and balanced acidity
• ABV: 13.7%