Cabernet Sauvignon

An unusual blend of 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Tannat, 13% Grenache and 3% Syrah from Paso Robles.  Inky purple in color, opaque and shimmering bright.  The nose has black raspberries, cassis, char, black cherries and spice.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is deep.  A bit chunky with cassis, black raspberries and black cherries with underlying  char.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  Delicious on its own, this would be a great wine with a steak.  It will need big food.  

This is the inaugural vintage of this wine from Russel and Heidi Bevan.  It is, of course, quite young, but delicious right now.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, blueberries, dark chocolate, baking spice and char.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is deep.  It really needs about ten years or more to really develop but it is juicy and delicious today.  Cassis and blueberries with some char and bit of leather.  Long finish.  No doubt its score get close to or at perfect eventually.  It is great on its own but will take big food right no

A First Growth in a top vintage?  Yes, please.  This is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc.  Purple in color with some ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, leather, perfume, slight cigar box and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is tight and young but delicious.  Cassis, black cherries, spice and slight chocolate.  Great balance.  Long finish.  This is drinking well but will get better with further cellaring (or air).  Drink over the next twenty to thirty years.  For now, it will be a t

In just a few short years of production the Canvasback Cabernet Sauvignon has become one of the de facto wines from the Red Mountain AVA in Washington state. Having reviewed this wine from multiple vintages, there is a clear consistency to its quality. Like most Cabernet you will find the requisite black cherry, blueberry, blackberry notes, but this adds huckleberry, boysenberry into the mix along with dusty tannins and a light mocha quality. But Red Mountain fruit also offers an earthiness and minerality with richer fruit.

The Paraduxx portfolio has been solely focused on blended wines, something they do admirably. The 2019 is comprised mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon with lighter amounts of five other grape including Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. The medley offers dusty black, cherry, blueberry, blackberry, red raspberry light cedar, and sandalwood notes with a very light green tea element and vanilla. The tannins are fairly taught, even after four years, supporting the structure of the wine, and the acidity comes into play making this an ideal companion for food.

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.

Not a lot of people realize that Mike Smith (Myriad among many others) is the winemaker at Becklyn.  Their wines are highly recommended.  This one is no exception.  It is the basic Cabernet in their lineup. Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, cedar,  and baking spices.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is complex, deep and also quite tight.  Flavors of cassis, some graphite and char.  Long finish.  It could use a few more years in the cellar or else give it a long decant for now.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.

It should be no surprise that this wine is a stunner. Chappellet has long delivered quality wines that exceed the status quo; nearly 60 years in fact. The fruit for this wine comes from Pritchard Hill, a well-know parcel that produces exceptional grapes. A classic old-school Cabernet, this offers blackberry, blueberry, huckleberry, boysenberry and black cherry notes with back notes of vanilla, sage, tight tannins, good acidity and the one thing that makes a wine sing – balance. Comprised of mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, there are small amounts of Petite Verdot, Malbec and Merlot added in.

Every year Flora Springs produces holiday wines, this year with a beautiful etched bottle (and a three pack of three different holiday etchings and blends) featuring turtle doves. A cabernet dominate blend, this offers soft, bright fruit of black cherry, blackberry, huckleberry, boysenberry, with back notes of green tea leaf, sandalwood, Asian pear, vanilla, camp fire and light dusty mocha. 18 months of aging in French and American oak barrels rounds out the fruit. They don’t make much but it makes a unique gift. 230 cases. ORIGIN: Napa Valley. ALCOHOL: 14.2

This is another wine from the Michael Mondavi Family of wines.  This is the inaugural vintage of this wine sourced from various vineyards around Paso Robles.  It will be interesting to watch as they get a handle on what the vineyard has to offer.  That said, this first vintage is a very nice value in California Cabernet.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, char, spice and slight coffee note.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, cassis, plums and char.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  This is nice on its own and will work with gr