2021 1000 Stories Cabernet Sauvignon Bourbon Barrel Aged, USA, California, Wine Review

This is made from Cabernet grapes predominately from Lodi. The wine is raised in oak barrels and then finished in Bourbon Barrels. Garnet in color with purple swirls, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has smoke, tar and slight black cherries. Medium bodied. Medium tannins. On the palate, this starts out sweet/ripe with some black cherries. Plenty of char. A bit of a cough drop note at the end. I poured this for some friends who like wine but are not wine geeks and it went over well. Its certainly different. I have no idea how this ages so I would drink in the next year or two. It is a natural match with grilled foods such as a burger.

Grade:

B-

Score:

Vintage:

2021

Current Price:

$19.00USD

Top 50 California Cabernet Sauvignons to Try Before You Quit Drinking (a non-dump bucket list if you will!)

In putting together a list of the top California Cabernets, there is sure to be some disagreement. I tried to include those wines that have a track record, the wineries still making great wines, those that seemed to have the commitment for the future and some personal favorites. I am sure I left some out. 1. Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select – It’s always hard to name the number one wine. But this has a track record that’s very long. Even in less than stellar vintages, it is an outstanding wine. They just don’t seem to make a dud. My only complaint is the price at over $200 a bottle. But, in comparison to other Napa Cabs or elsewhere in the world, this is a fair price.

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2017 Exitus Bourbon Barrel Aged Red Wine, USA, California

Vintage:

2017

Score:

Grade:

B+

Current Price:

$20.00USD

This is another of the bourbon barrel aged wines. While some wine nerds may scoff or even cringe at this trend, many consumers are buying and enjoying. This comes in attractive packaging with a clear bottle and an "old timey" label. It is a big wine that clocks in at 15.9% abv. After tasting the bottle, I served it to a group of friends and it proved popular. Is is a blend of Zinfandel, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep ruby in color. The nose is sweet with caramel and also black raspberries. On the palate, this has sweet black cherry fruit. Firm tannins that are slightly

2017 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Private Selection - Aged in Bourbon Barrels Monterey County, USA, California, Wine Review

Vintage:

2017

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$12.00USD

This bottle was brought to our house by friends. Frankly, I am not sure who as it was a party and then left unopened. My wife was having book club, and so it seemed like a good choice. This proved to be very popular and it was lucky I got a glass to taste. A very interesting wine. Purple in color. The nose has cassis, some dustiness to it, and just a hint of what can best be described as sweet oak. On the palate, there are strong tannins. The cassis follows thru but there is a sweetness to the wine that is similar to that of Bourbon Barrel Aged beers although not nearly as pronounce

Heidi Peterson Barrett: Napa's Wine Diva on Winemaking, La Sirena, and the Legacy of Screaming Eagle

Heidi Peterson Barrett As arguably the most celebrated, respected, envied, and in-demand winemaker in America today, Heidi Peterson Barrett is one of only a handful of winemakers who can legitimately lay claim to "superstar" status. Her wines at both Dalle Valle and Screaming Eagle resulted in multiple 100 point scores from Robert Parker (Parker himself dubbed her the "First Lady of Wine") and helped redefine both the meaning and value of "cult" wines. She rocked the wine world at the 2000 Napa Valley Wine Auction as a 6-liter bottle of her 1992 Screaming Eagle sold for $500,000, in the process setting a world record for the highest price ever paid for a single bottle of wine (a vertical offering went for $650,000 at the 2001 Napa Valley Wine Auction). Heidi Peterson Barrett is currently winemaker for Amuse Bouche, Paradigm, Revana, Barbour, Lamborn, Fantesca, as well as her own label La Sirena . I recently had the pleasure of catching up with Heidi to talk about winemaking, her own La Sirena label, and the legacy of Screaming Eagle.

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Which California Cabernet Sauvignons Deserve "First Growth" Status?

In 1855, the Exposition Universelle was held in Paris to showcase all that was good in France. Emperor Napoleon III requested the leading Bordeaux merchants to rank the best wines . The top wines were rated as First Growths. Over the years, many people in the rest of the world have discussed what wines from their country would be First Growths. I am often asked what I think the First Growths of California are. It is an interesting conversation with lots of room for debate.

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2021 1000 Stories Cabernet Sauvignon Bourbon Barrel Aged, USA, California, Wine Review

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Top 50 California Cabernet Sauvignons to Try Before You Quit Drinking (a non-dump bucket list if you will!)

2017 Exitus Bourbon Barrel Aged Red Wine, USA, California

2017 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Private Selection - Aged in Bourbon Barrels Monterey County, USA, California, Wine Review

Heidi Peterson Barrett: Napa's Wine Diva on Winemaking, La Sirena, and the Legacy of Screaming Eagle

Which California Cabernet Sauvignons Deserve "First Growth" Status?