Tag Archives: cabernet sauvignon

Hamel Family Wines Isthmus 2016, Sonoma Valley, California

05 Sunday Feb 2023

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Inky and opaque with super-slow moving legs and some staining on the walls (16% ABV!).  The nose has intense aromas of blackberry jam, cassis, sweet vanilla, baking spices, menthol, briar and a dusty earth component.  The palate is dry and tannic, full bodied and delicious.  Ripe black berries meet spice and oaky vanilla with mint and earth.  This is a very extracted wine that really hits on all cylinders and offers richness and structure with a touch of heat on the back end that reminds you to be careful with this high alcohol wine.  The finish is long and tasty with fruit fading to earth and briar.  Yummy stuff that will go great with our Sunday Roast Beef.  I would also pair with Lamb and grilled Ribeyes.  Cellar-wise, this is still a young wine that is drinking nicely now as the fine-grained tannins are starting to integrate nicely.  If you have a few bottles of this Cabernet blend then cellar till 2030.  The $80 price point makes it a treat wine that gets 93 points from me and 4 stars.  Salut….

Robert Oatley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia

30 Monday Jan 2023

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Deep ruby with a touch of turbidity and some flecks of garnet in this 5 year old Cabernet from the western coast of Australia.  The nose has very precise, sharp aromas of black plum, blackberry, cassis, eucalyptus, coffee, mint, mocha and vanilla.  Very oak-driven aromas but it is hedonistic and I am looking forward to taste.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins, a full body and delicious flavors of ripe fruit and oak influence.  Blackberry, dark plums and coffee dominate.  Espresso to be more precise.  Eucalyptus is pretty evident as is the mint component.  The finish on this wine is medium in length and very fruity, making me realize that the tannins have really integrated already, ergo a very pleasant mouthfeel.  I like this wine a bunch and will be pairing it with Strip steaks off the charcoal.  One review went as high as 95….. I am more in the 93 camp, but 5 stars for sure as you can pick this up for $17, making it a terrific deal.  Drink till 2028.  Salut….

St. Supery Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Napa Valley, California

31 Saturday Dec 2022

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For an eight year old wine, there is still plenty of opaque purple color, albeit with some garnet showing on the rim of this Napa Cabernet which ws served from a Double Magnum, aka a Jeroboam of wine.  Slow moving legs and a bit of staining on the walls give me clues of what to expect.  The nose has ample primary fruit aromas of black plum, blackberry, cassis, menthol, eucalyptus, black raspberry and cherry cola.  Baked black fruit hints are starting to emerge as this wine starts its evolution.  It’s still youthful with lots of cellaring ahead.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium tannins that are super smooth and fine grained.  Very rich black fruit flavors with some oak treatment caress my mouth, the spices and vanilla very faint.  It’s very balanced and smooth with a medium body and medium length finish.  I really like the fact that it is still rather primal yet the structure has really mellowed out and is a seamless play of acidity, balance and alcohol on a medium weight wine.  Delicious and worthy of 93 points from me.  A regular bottle will run you $45 making this a 5 star effort that has rewarded medium-term cellaring and will drink beautifully till 2028.  Salut….

Chateau Musar 2000, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

27 Sunday Nov 2022

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When I select wines for our Virtual Wine Tasting Company I save one for the last bottle in the series.  We have drunk various vintages of Chateau Musar but this closer was the most controversial of them all and also my wine of the night/series/case etc.  I loved it.  Others hated it.

Pale to medium garnet it is textbook Musar in appearance with that gorgeous orange tint in the glass.  Also textbook- sweaty horse aromas with stewed cherry, strawberry compote, tobacco, leather and Brett.  Right up my alley.  The palate is dry with medium (-) acidity, medium (-) tannins and pronounced flavors of baked cherry, pomegranate syrup, tobacco, leather, earth and a touch of that funk.  Extremely well balanced, this medium bodied wine showed off a long finish- very impressive for a bottle with 22 years of age.  A spectacular wine that I awarded 94 points to and will look for again.  An equal blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan runs $72 a bottle it gets 5 stars from me.  Pairing-wise it is difficult to imaging drinking this wine with any food.  It has such unique, amazing flavors that need to be savored in isolation.  Salut….

 

Chateau Cos d’Estournel ‘Les Pagodes de Cos’ 2010, Saint-Estephe, France

27 Sunday Nov 2022

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Our 29th Virtual Wine tasting concentrated on Cabernet Sauvignon and blends thereof so it made sense to include a Bordeaux wine.  I selected this well aged bottle which is the ‘second wine’ of the famed Second Growth- Chateau Cos d’Estournel.  It runs $80 and gets high scores from the pros (92-94).

Deep garnet colored, this wine is showing off its 12 years of age.  Aromas of soy sauce, leather, cedar, cassis, stewed blackberry, forest floor and umami were noted.  On the palate it was dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are well integrated.  Medium bodied, this wine had flavors of black pepper, strong black tea, loam, funk and leather with some dried blackberry notes.  Someone mentioned a Bourbon-like taste and there was some concern over the bitterness.  It is a touch disjointed which lowers the rating imo.  The medium to long finish shows off the pedigree of this chateau.  I enjoyed drinking this 90 point wine but for $80 I can find far more enjoyable wines to drink.  3 stars for the QPR.  I would pair this with a simple Filet steak and gratin potatoes with a side of green beans.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Buehler Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Napa Valley, California

27 Sunday Nov 2022

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The second wine at Virtual Tasting #29 was this Napa Cabernet.  It has a deep ruby color and smells ‘yummy’ according to the group!  Menthol was the first thing I noticed on the nose followed by dark chocolate, tobacco, green pepper, black cherry, blackcurrant and Kirsch.  Medicinal notes along with a dusty component were commented on.  Dry with medium acidity and medium intensity tannins that were very well melded made for a really nice mouthfeel.  Medium to full bodied this Cabernet had flavors of black pepper, green pepper, tart cherry, tobacco, cranberry, pencil shavings and graphite.  The group really felt it was red-fruit dominant and had started developing tertiary flavors.  The finish was short-medium in length.  This $28 wine gets 91 points from me making it a 5 star effort to drink till 2028.  I would pair it with braised beef cheeks or a plate full of Osso Bucco.  Salut….

Beringer Vineyards Distinction Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Napa Valley, California

15 Tuesday Nov 2022

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Inky purple in the glass it has slow moving, thick legs (15.1% ABV) and leaves a purple stain on the wall.  The nose has dusty earth, ripe blackcurrants, blackberry, menthol, cedar, pencil shavings and blueberry pie.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are very smooth yet powerful.  Pronounced flavors of blackberry, cassis, blueberry compote, baking spices, pencil shavings, mint and cedar along with that earthy dust make for a delicious wine that has a full body and a medium length finish.  This wine has ripe fruit, great structure and just the right amount of oak treatment.  It is really yummy stuff that gets 94 points from me and at $40- it’s a no brainer Napa Cabernet that will cellar nicely till 2030 at the least and pair beautifully with all types of grilled meats, stews and hearty pasta dishes.  5 stars. Salut….

Cristian Vallejo Bosquejo Blend 2019, Cachapoal Valley, Chile

03 Thursday Nov 2022

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This is the entry level cuveé from this excellent winemaker.  A Cabernet Sauvignon blend which includes Carménère, Cabernet Franc and Syrah.  Medium ruby colored it also has a bluish edge.  At 14.2% ABV it shows off very thin, slow moving legs.  On the nose I get ripe blackberry, plum, white and green pepper, baking spices, vanilla and violets.  The palate has medium (-) acidity (remember the blue hue?), medium tannins that are very smooth and a medium body.  The flavors are very rich- ripe blackberry and black plum dominate but I get the oak nuance of baking spice and vanilla.  The varietal influence from the Carménère and Franc show off some green pepper whilst the Syrah is offering up some white pepper.  The finish is medium length and delightful.  For $15 this 91 point wine is a must-have to drink till 2026 with grilled meats or hearty pasta dishes.  5 stars from me, time to stock up.  Salut….

Sorby Adams Jellicoe Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Barossa, Australia

02 Wednesday Nov 2022

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This 5 year old Cabernet Sauvignon is starting to turn visually- deep garnet colored with thick legs in the glass (14.0% ABV).  The nose has youthful fruit aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry, vanilla, mint, blueberry coulis, spice box, cedar and chocolate nibs.   It’s a very rich nose and I’m looking forward to tasting it.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium tannins that are well integrated.  I get pronounced flavors of blackcurrant jam along with blackberry, blueberry, mint, green pepper, vanilla and chocolate.  The fruit coats my mouth with the tannins and acidity there to balance it all out, full bodied to say the least.  The long finish leans on the oak with the black fruit fading.  I get persistent charred oak, vanilla and chocolate on the back end.  For a wine that looks like it has some age, this $17 beauty is certainly youthful and ready to rock till 2027.  I’m going with 91 points and 5 stars. Pairing it with Tenderloins on the cast iron.  Salut….

Mauricio Lorca Organic Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Mendoza, Argentina

31 Monday Oct 2022

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Deep ruby/purple colored with a tinge of blue on the edges.  The nose gives me aromas of blueberry, açaí berry, plum, mint, candied black cherry and smoke.  Th palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins.  I get flavors of açaí, blueberry, charcoal, candied black cherry and plums from this medium to full bodied wine.  I also get some heat on the back end even though it only sports a 13.6% ABV.  The finish is short in duration and I get some charred oak notes along with the fading tannins and blueberry.  It’s a decent weekday wine that gets 87 points from me and for $11 it’s a decent value that gets 3 stars. Drink now with burgers, pizza or other family favorites.  Salut….