Elk Run Sweet Katherine

Varietal: >50% Cabernet Sauvignon , other mix unlisted
Wine: Sweet Katherine
Label: Elk Run
Region: Maryland
Year: 2007? (Not labeled)
Date Tasted: July 2011

Notes: What sacrilege is this, making a sweet wine from the might Cab? Tasty, tasty sacrilege. I am fairly certain this is the fullest bodied dessert red I have ever had. Tones of blackberry, cherry, and tangerine. A slightly dry finish, showing the weight and presence the varietal meant to have.

As the story was told by the vineyard staff, the Sweet Katherine was accidentally created when fermentation stopped early, and rather than flush the disaster they decided to bottle it and see what would happen. (Operating a small vineyard does not bestow a high profit margin, so the decision is understandable.) Several years later, they now intentionally produce this moderately sweet red, which has the attraction of being (far) outside the reach of the truly awful plebeian sweet wines, but different from the traditional fine dessert wines.

Although it may do well with a tailored meal or in a didactic capacity, this wine seems most suited to pairing with desserts that are less than very sweet - chocolate, cannoli, and most other pastries seem perfect; sherbert or a sheet cake, less so.