Cabernet Sauvignon

This venerable old label used to be one of the most talked about wines from Napa.  Today, it seems to barely get a mention yet the quality is still top notch.  Fame is fickle.  This vintage is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petite Verdot and 3% Malbec.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is classic Napa which is also to say very Bordeaux-like in a ripe year.  Black cherries, some cassis, earthy, cigar box and slight graphite.  Great texture.  Firm tannins.  Full bodied.  On the palate, cassis, earthiness and spice.  Long finish.  This is outstanding.  Great on its own but better with

Another great wine from Fait-Mail.  These wine get some buzz but deserve even more.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, slight graphite, cedar, spice and char.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Great energy and balance.  On the palate, this is concentrated, intense and delicious.  Flavors of cassis, slight dark chocolate, spice and char.  Long finish.  This is still quite young and won't hit peak for at least a decade.  That said, it provides a lot of pleasure right now.  Drink over the next twenty years.  Fantastic on its own, this would work with big meat

This is a blend of 74% Sonoma fruit and 26% Cabernet.  A gorgeous wine that is just entering its prime drinking window.  Purple in color with some ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is classic with cassis, tobacco, slight cocoa and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Great balance.  On the palate, this is complex, deep and delicious.  Flavors of cassis, earthiness and spice.  Long finish.  This is great on its own and worked well with eggplant Parmesan.  It should have at least another ten or fifteen years.  I know a lot of people like to say these big Cal Cabs can't last.  Th

Great showing for this wine although still a bit on the youngish side.  Purple in color, opaque and shimmering bright.  The nose is big and deep.  Cedar, cassis, slight blueberries, slight coffee, and char.  Full bodied.  Great plush texture.  Great balance.  On the palate, this is deep, complex and delicious.  It has a bit of a "Bordeaux" quality but the fruit is prime Napa.  Flavors of cassis, coffee, char and slight blueberries.  Long finish.  The last glass was the best.  This is great on its own but works with most (not seafood) foods.  This bottle was enjoyed with an assortment of che

This is an inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles that delivers for under $20.  Purple in color with some ruby hues.  The nose has black cherries with some spice.  Medium bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this is an easy drinking wine that would be good to serve for an outdoor cookout.  Flavors of black cherries.  Moderate finish.  A nice choice with a burger off the grill.  Drink now.  

This is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 7% Petite Sirah, and 5% Malbec from Napa.  It is a big wine (15.5% abv) but not over the top.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, boysenberries, char, chocolate and spice.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Good balance despite the alcohol.  On the palate, this is tasty.  Flavors of cassis, black cherries, some milk chocolate, char and spice.  Some depth and complexity.  Long finish.  This should drink well for another five to eight years.  Great on its own, this would work well with a steak or burger.  

Chappellet excels at most anything they do. So this Hideaway Vineyard Cabernet, a 100% Cabernet, should be no surprise that it’s a deftly made wine. From the outset this is a rich, structured wine. It begins with moderate to heavy tannins, which support black cherry, blackberry, light campfire smoke, rhubarb, black tea leaf, soft cedar, wild flower and herbs, and light clove. Aged in mainly new French oak to subdue the tannins, this high elevation Cabernet fruit from Pritchard Hill is classic Napa Cabernet – ripe but restrained.

Another gorgeous wine from Becklyn Cellars.  Inky purple, opaque and bright.  The nose is big with cassis, slight coffee bean, cigar, and slight graphite.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Great, plush texture.  On the palate, this is concentrated, deep and delicious.  Flavors of cassis, some blueberries, spice and char.  Good balance.  Long finish.  This is still young and will get better.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  Great on its own, this will work with bigger dishes (not sea food).  It would be nice with Roasted and Stuffed Bell Peppers.  

This is a 51%/49% blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, black raspberries, graphite, black pepper, spice and char.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Good balance.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Flavors of cassis, \black cherries, black raspberries, slight herbal note (mint?), spice and char.  Long finish.  This is deep and complex if still very young.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  This is great on its own and will work well with grilled meat, fowl or veggies.
 

This includes 1% Merlot in the blend.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is classic with cassis, slight tobacco, spice, chocolate and char.  Full bodied.  Medium to firm tannins.  Good balance and acidity.  On the palate, this drinks easy.  The fruit is somewhat concentrated with flavors of cassis, plums, slight dry forest floor, chocolate and spice.  Good finish.  This should be cellared for a few years and then drink for eight to twelve after that.  Nice on its own, this will work with with meat or fowl based dishes.  BBQ Chicken would be a good choice.