Cabernet Sauvignon

This is 70% from the Napa side of Pride Mountain and 30% from the Sonoma side.  Very young but an excellent wine.  Long gone are the days of Bob Foley's full throttle wines from Pride.  Different, but just as good.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose shows cassis, spice, fresh tobacco and slight char.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, cassis and black cherry fruit with some tobacco and underlying earthiness.  Deep and complex if tight.  This will need about seven to ten years to develop to get near peak and then should drink for ten to fifteen

Nice showing despite this being a few vintages old.  Salmon pink in color.  The nose has strawberries and cherries.  Light to medium bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, notes of cherries and some oranges.  Nice texture.  This was probably better a year or two ago as it lacked the freshness these wines can have.  That said, it is still very enjoyable.  Drink now.  This would work with a wide variety of foods from chicken salad to a burger.  

2011 was a challenging vintage in Napa but for some wineries it offered a chance to find wines that are ready a bit earlier than most vintages.  That was true for Hobel and their winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has cassis, slight spice/oak and a hint of fresh herbs.  Medium to full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, there is some depth.  Cassis with a bit of an herbal streak.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  This seems to be at peak but should drink well for another eight to ten years.  It drinks better with food.  Pasta with Bolognaise sauce is

This is a nice, moderately priced California Cabernet.  Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, bell peppers, cherries and some spice.  Medium bodied with light tannins.  On the palate black cherry fruit with a touch of green bell pepper.  Moderate finish.  This drinks easily and although good on its own, is better with some food.  Chili is a nice match.  Drink over the next three to five years.  

This is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot.  Inky purple, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, spice and slight tobacco.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, nice cassis flavors.  Clean.  Not a lot of depth or complexity especially compared to the 2015 version of this wine.  Still, nice solid, easy drinking.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  A nice wine with sausage pizza.  

This is an excellent value in Napa Cabernet.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, spice and char.  Full bodied with a powerful texture.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, lots of cassis with some underlying char.  Nice depth.  This is still very young and needs another five to seven years to approach maturity.  It should be good for twelve to fifteen after that.  Drinks well on its own and will work well with braised meats.  

Expectations and hopes.  Its hard not to have them but they do affect ones enjoyment of wine.  This was an excellent wine but for whatever reason, vintage, cork, etc., was not up to expectations.  A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, spice and some cherries.  On the palate, this is amazingly integrated and smooth.  Cassis with some underlying spice.  Not as deep nor complex as this wine can get in other vintages.  That said, it drinks so easily, the bottle is drained quickly.  I

A friend brought this back a couple years ago from a trip he took with his wife to China.  Chateau Changyu AFIP Global Beijing is a joint venture of China, America, Italy, Portugal and other countries.   The chateau's purpose is apparently divided into winemaking, tourism, training and leisure.

Kagor is a fortified dessert wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon and other grapes.  It  originated as a sacramental wine for use in the Russian Orthodox Church.  Peter the Great had developed a taste for Cahors wines and started importing them in bulk. The Russian clergy was so impressed with its blood-red color (reminiscent of Christ's blood) that the Holy Synod adopted Cahors as a preferred wine for sacraments in 1733. Kagor is a modern type of "Cahors" developed for Prince Lev Golitsyn in the late 19th century.

A more elegant side of a Napa blends but outstanding.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, slight cigar, black cherries and spice.  Full bodied.  On the palate, moderate tannins.  Great texture.  This is young-ish but delicious and showing some complexity.  cassis and black cherry fruit that is concentrated and unwinds in the glass.  Long finish.  Give this another five years and it should be nearing in on maturity.  It should last another twenty after that.  Still some upside on this wine.  Great on its own or with food.  A steak or brisket would be a nice match.