PASO ROBLES | CALIFORNIA | $45
Black cherry with boysenberry and purple plum, plus deep savory notes of cinnamon, molasses, dry earth, cocoa and licorice. Full bodied, yet pleasantly just 14% alcohol. A bit tight initially, benefitting from decanting or patience in the glass that opens up a beautifully complex storyline. Finishes with a nice, light tannin pucker. A very good wine. (Reviewed 4/13/13)
Category Archives: Cabernet Sauvignon
Steinbeck Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Filed under $21 to $50, Cabernet Sauvignon, California
Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
NAPA VALLEY | CALIFORNIA | $42
Well-integrated flavors of raspberry, red plum and dried cherry with cocoa, epazote, camphor, bay and allspice. Subtle fruit interweaves with complex savory notes, creating a wonderful “something else” that makes wine, well, wine. Medium bodied with a firm tannin structure. The palate detects the 14.9% alcohol heat that stretches the limit. An upright citizen, properly attired, out for a Sunday stroll, bidding a good day to all. A very good wine, excellent without the noticeable alcohol. (Reviewed 2/3/13)
Filed under $21 to $50, Cabernet Sauvignon, California
Hansen Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Barrel Select’ 2006
PASO ROBLES | CALIFORNIA | $55
Mature dark berries and roasted plum integrated with subtle spice, bay, caramel, loamy soil, chalk and a hint of cocoa. Robust, forward flavors, a bit rustic, with a firm tannin structure. Aged 3-1/2 years on new French oak. Something of a curmudgeon — he knows more than you, he does things his own way, and there’s no shyness about letting you know. This ain’t your father’s Napa Valley Cab. An excellent wine. (Reviewed 12/30/12)
Filed under $51 to $100, Cabernet Sauvignon, California
Argiano ‘Non Confunditur’ Rosso Toscano 2009
TUSCANY | ITALY | $20
Concentrated blackberry and dried cherry with a savory earthy structure and notes of graphite, rosemary and citrus pith. Medium bodied and easy drinking, nicely integrated and reasonably complex with a smooth texture and a dry, tannic finish. Lean, dark and well-tailored, he moves easily and confidently through narrow, rustic streets — nothing to worry, always in the now. A Super Tuscan blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot 20% Syrah, 20% Sangiovese. A very good wine. (reviewed 12/23/12)
Filed under $20 and less, Cabernet Sauvignon, Italian Varietals, Italy
York Creek Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Estate’ 2007
SPRING MOUNTAIN | CALIFORNIA | $50
Black cherry and plum fruit with dark berry accents, and notes of violets, orange zest, bay and black pepper. Firm tannins provide structure and a pleasant acidity adds brightness. Full bodied with a silky texture. There’s an easy complexity at play revealing stand-out flavors alongside well-integrated ones. You think you know this one, but there’s more than pleasantly meets the eye. 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot. A very good wine. (Reviewed 12/30/12)
Filed under $21 to $50, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Uncategorized
Chateau Aney Cru Bourgeois 2007
HAUT-MEDOC | FRANCE | $25
Blackberry and mature plum fruit with deep aromas of decomposed wood and soil, plus accents of cardamom, bay, cedar and orange zest. Medium bodied, smooth texture and medium-light on the palate with present tannins. A touch of acidity brightens the finish. Reasonably complex and very entertaining. She’s a charmer, and while perhaps not the first on the invite list, she’s the one who made the affair — sustaining joy long after the posers and pretenders have deflated. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot. A good wine, nearly very good. (Reviewed 12/1/12)
Filed under $21 to $50, Cabernet Sauvignon, France
Diamond Ridge Pinot Noir 2008
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY | CALIFORNIA | $18
A full-flavor Pinot showing mature black cherry and dark berry fruit with a hint of purple plum. Complex organic notes of cardamom, cedar and tobacco bring a balancing earthy quality. Tamed acidity and a smooth, lingering fruit-soil finish. Velvety mouthfeel with a slight chew. Surprisingly full bodied for a 13.6% alcohol wine. Bears an attractively unassuming Burgundian-style single-script-font black-white label. An unpretentious sort with the simplest garb, delivering plenty of whelm. A very good wine and an excellent value. (Reviewed 11/27/12)
Filed under $20 and less, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir
Robert Hall ‘Meritage’ 2002
PASO ROBLES | CALIFORNIA | $34
Black cherry and dark berry fruit with suggestions of savory spice, caramel and earth. Focused with narrow fruit-forward flavors and prominent acidity. More depth and complexity recalled when tasting than present today. With aging, the bottom seems to have disappeared. The floorboards, it appears, have dropped out of this otherwise well-maintained roadster. 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Cabernet Franc, 12% Malbec, 4% Merlot. A good wine. (Reviewed 8/25/12)
Filed under $21 to $50, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, California
Babcock Cabernet Sauvignon ‘New Epoch’ Reserve 2006
SANTA YNEZ VALLEY | CALIFORNIA | $40
Medium to full bodied with blackberry, mission fig, currant and apple mixed with organic soil, graphite, bay, redwood, nutmeg and mustard seed. Good fruit and soil integration, balanced with a velvet texture. Lots of complexity here. Oft overlooked in adolescence for prettier cousins, this one comes into her own winning hearts as a young adult. An excellent wine. (Reviewed 7/1/12)
Filed under $21 to $50, Cabernet Sauvignon, California
Hedges ‘Red Mountain’ 2009
RED MOUNTAIN | WASHINGTON STATE | $25
Balanced fruit and savory flavors with raspberry, boysenberry and some red cherry up front and nutmeg, cigar box and leather providing an earthy counterweight. Very pleasant with a heavyish satin texture and a satisfying finish. 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 22% Syrah, 9% Cabernet Franc. Really a good wine at a very good price. (Reviewed 5/4/12)
Filed under $21 to $50, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Washington State
