Latah Creek Natalie’s Nectar 2021

This wonderfully sweet wine was first released back in 2004 and marked the first winemaking collaboration between father/daughter winemaking team, Mike and Natalie. This was also Latah Creek’s first venture into the world of red dessert wines. During a trip to Italy the year before, Ellena and Mike discovered the marvelous Recioto wines of Northern Italy and it was decided right then that a similar wine was needed at Latah Creek. So upon their return, Natalie and Mike made plans for producing the “Porto-styled” wine, without the added alcohol, from the upcoming 2004 harvest. After fermentation they took 6 barrels of their 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon and blended it with unfermented Cabernet juice held back. It was exactly what they were looking for. Because of this wine’s limited production and reserve quality, it is now part of the Reserve Reds line-up.

The fruity and bold nature of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape makes it a great varietal to use for this sweet red wine, and one of Mike and Natalie’s favorites. The base wine, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, spent 14 months in French and American Oak. This is a small-lot wine, with less than 4 barrels produced.

Natalie’s Tasting Notes

I love this wine and not just because it is the first wine that my dad and I created together, but because the concentration of fruit flavors without the heavy feeling on the palate that many sweet wines or ports have.  The elevated residual from the Cabernet juice addition enhances the depth of the blackberry and cherry notes in the Cabernet base wine.  The aroma in glass evokes a hint of pepper, while the vibrant flavors of berries and plums persist on your palate long after the wine is gone.

Food Pairing

Serve this wine by itself, along side dark chocolate, or with a strong cheese and fruit platter. The concentration of sweet and bold characters of this wine also make it a great addition to many recipes including a Conway/Barnes family favorite, Ellena’s Quick and Easy Chicken Fajitas recipe available online or in her latest cookbook.

Winemakers

Mike Conway & Natalie Conway-Barnes