Always a great value in Cal Cabs and very consistent over the years. Inky purple in color. The nose has cassis and smoke. On the palate, this is very smooth. Nice cassis fruit. Very solid. Nice finish. Drink this over the next five years. It will work great with grilled foods.
A nice showing for this Cab which is drinking well but may yet improve. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is dusty with nice cassis fruit and some baking spice. On the palate, it presents as black cherry candy. Delicious. Medium tannins. Nice finish. This should drink well for the next ten to twelve years. A nice wine with chili.
A consistent good value Cab from Sonoma. Inky purple in color. The nose has sweet cassis fruit. On the palate, this is drinking easy and well. Tasty. Juicy cassis. Very clean. Nice finish. This should be drunk over the next few years. It will go well with burgers off the grill.
This one started slow but opened with some air. Inky purple in color. The nose has cassis, clay, a bit of tobacco and a slight floral note. Full bodied. Bright acidity. Firm tannins. Flavors of cassis with underlying tobacco. Long finish. This still needs a few more years to full come together and will likely merit a higher score at that time. It is very good today, but considering the cost, a few more years of patience of a six hour decant is not a bad idea. This drinks nicely on its own and would be great with prime rib.
Great showing for this wine that has taken quite some time to finally open and come around. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has cassis with slight baking spice. Full bodied. On the palate, this is initially tight, but unwinds in the glass. Juicy cassis fruit. It seems still youthful although approaching maturity. There is depth and intensity and energy to this wine. Nice finish. Drinking great now but a little air helps. It should drink well for ten to twelve more years. Nice on its own, it would work well with a steak.
This is a proprietary red Bordeaux blend from Sonoma. David Ramey was the consulting winemaker. At age 16, this is drinking beautifully. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose show cassis, cherries, slight black olives, chocolate and slight spice. Medium to full bodied. It is delicious. Big ripe fruit but also some complexity. Firm tannins. Nice depth. Mostly black cherry fruit but some cassis. Long finish. I tasted this with a bunch of Sonoma Cabs, so this may have benefited from being a bit different. Still, is drinking at peak not but should be at this level for at lea
This is an outstanding value in Cabernet.
This is a lower alcohol wine (12.5% abv). It was tasted with other Cabs which is probably a disservice to it. Purple/ruby in color. The nose has black cherries along with a brine note. Medium bodied. On the palate, black cherries come thru. Medium tannins. Slight mint on the finish. It will benefit from some air at this point but should make nice drinking for the next decade. A nice match with chili or stews.
Purple/ruby in color. The nose is tight at first but opens with some air. Cassis and dust. On the palate, this is more cherry cough drops with some underlying charred wood. Short finish. This might be in a bit of a dumb phase as it kept opening up over the evening. If drinking soon, a three hour (or more) decant would help. It should hit maturity in another five to seven years and be good for another ten after that. A nice wine with roasted veggies or meats.
Purple/ruby in color. The nose has black cherries with a lot of fresh cut oak. Also some clay and baking spices. Full bodied. Juicy fruit on the palate. The heavy oak carries thru to the palate. Thick tannins. Nice black cherry fruit with slight chocolate notes. Moderate finish. This needs some time to sort out but should come together in about three years and drink well for ten more after that. If drinking now, give it a nice decant. A nice wine for a steak or roast. Nice value.
