We like to refer to the 2008 Cabernet Merlot from Cooper’s Hawk Vineyard as an old soul. It consists of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot with the Merlot blend aged 16 months in French oak barrels.
The wine shows good concentration of both fruit and colour with blackberry, vanilla and spice on the palate and is dark berry in colour with hints of old saddle leather and dark plums and raspberries and earthiness. The tannins are firm but not gripping with balanced acidity and a long finish of plums and cherries.
This Cabernet Merlot is a great compliment with pastas, pizza, steaks, burgers and Cooper’s Hawk employee Tracie G.’s personal favourite, nachos!
So what better nachos to pair them with then the ever popular Motor Burger nachos:
Motor Burger Nachos
Salsa:
- 8 medium to large plum (roma) tomatoes
- 2 medium red onions
- 1 large green zucchini
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro
- 2 cups loosely packed baby arugula
- 2 cloves of fresh garlic minced
- 3 Thai chilies chopped fine (with seeds)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Good quality corn nacho chips. Shredded cheddar, jack and muenster cheeses.
Lime-chipotle sour cream:
- Finely chop 2-4 chipotle peppers, depending on your heat preference
- juice 1 lime and grate its zest
- add both to an 8-oz tub of sour cream
- season with salt and pepper to taste
- Cube into ¼ inch pieces, tomato, onions, zucchini
- Roughly chop cilantro and arugula
- Mix together with the remaining salsa ingredients. Let marinate for 1 hour
- Melt shredded cheese mixture on nachos in the oven
- Squeeze lime-chipotle sour cream over cheese nachos
- Scoop fresh salsa on top; squeeze on a bit more fresh lime, salt and pepper
