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Tag Archives: cabernet sauvignon

Le Chateau 2013, Columbia Valley, Washington

04 Tuesday Feb 2020

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$25, 4 stars, 90 points, cabernet sauvignon, columbia valley, washington


Medium strength purple in the glass with a touch of cloudiness.  The nose is unique.  Raspberries, sweet rhubarb jam, rooibos tea.  The palate is yummy, crunchy, a touch acidic.  I get dark fruits instead of red, an interesting transformation.  Delightfully tannins greet me as we transition to the midpalate of crushed black cherry, graphite, black tea and mouth drying tannins.  The finish has a short burst of black berrries, tea and an earthy minerality.  This wine is drinking young at 7 years old, it still needs cellar time.  Drink from 2023-2030 with Ribeyes or a Penne Arrabiata.  90 points and 4 stars for this $25 Cab.  Salut

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Cameron Hughes Lot 701 2017, Napa, California

04 Tuesday Feb 2020

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$29, 4 stars, 91 points, cabernet sauvignon, california, Napa, napa cabernet


Quite dark and brooding in the glass, nice legs.  On the nose it shows bright fruit notes of blackberry, plum jam and vanilla.  The palate starts of with a gob full of tannins, which part ways to reveal Ribera, singed plum and some eucalyptus leaf.  The mid palette continues that dark fruit motif but is very channeled by the searing tannins.  Young.  Very young.  The fruit is really masked by the big underlying structure of this wine.  I’m going to run some through the Vinturi before I proceed.

Nope- that monster is still lurking.  I’ll need to let this bottle breathe overnight to see if it softens.  For now- 91 points but don’t touch it till 2023.  Drink till 2030.

Day two- much softer but those tannins are still formidable.  Blackberry jam, espresso and a touch of oak are the main players today.  I’m sticking with 91 points and the drinking window I mentioned.  $29, 4 stars and a pretty good deal on Napa Cab IMHO.  Salut….

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L’Ecole No. 41 Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Columbia Valley, USA

04 Tuesday Feb 2020

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$25, 4 stars, 90 points, cabernet sauvignon, columbia valley, washington


Very dark purple in the glass.  The legs are almost nonexistent, belying the 14.5% alcohol.  The nose has sweet cassis, fresh figs and a blueberry reduction.  The palate is delightful, rich and smooth.  Layers of blackberry, dark cherry, charcoal and anise flow from the initial to the finish.  It’s a seamless transition with a nice touch of tannic bite at the end.  I’m pairing with Picanha, mashed potatoes and grilled Brussel sprouts.  Drink till 2028. 90 points and 4 stars for this $25 Cab.  Salut….

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Correlation Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Napa Valley, USA

04 Tuesday Feb 2020

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$80, 5 stars, 93 points, cabernet sauvignon, california, Napa, napa cabernet


Bright shade of purple and nearly opaque.  The nose is delightful- some plums, charcoal, espresso and black cherry.  The palate is creamy, sweet with plum reduction and mouthwatering with beautiful acidity and lithe tannins.  There is a silkiness to this wine that’s just amazing.  The acidity scorches my mid palate but gets held in check by the fine grained tannins.  Nice black and blue fruits carry me to the decent length finish that introduces oak and coconut to the mix.  Delicious wine that I’m serving up with Osso Bucco and roasted Brussels Sprouts in garlic butter and capers.  Drink now if you like them with bite or cellar this beauty and enjoy till 2030.  93 points and 5 stars for this $80 treat.  Salut….

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Cameron Hughes Lot 686 Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Alexander Valley, California

24 Friday Jan 2020

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$18, 5 stars, 90 points, alexander valley, cabernet sauvignon, california


Dark purple and opaque in the glass.  Iodine, plums and blackcurrants on the nose give way to a refreshingly tannic initial taste of more black fruits alongside a charcoal note.  This wine rides tough on the gums with delightful, young tannins that beg for steak.  I’m happy to oblige tonight.  The mid palate is all about the balance of fruit versus tannins.  The finish is short to medium in length and gives off note of that iodine meets Ribena.  Very tasty wine that has some nice structure and good cellaring potential.  90 points and drink till 2030.  5 stars for this $18 effort.  Salut….

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Luc Pirlet Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, IGP Pays d’Oc, France

11 Wednesday Dec 2019

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$12, 5 stars, 90 points, cabernet sauvignon, france


Pretty purple color with long legs showing.  On the nose it is enticing with blackberry, cola, toasty oak and black cherry.  The palate echoes those dark notes alongside juicy acidity and tight grained tannins.  There’s an inky component on the mid palate and those tannins just keep on going.  The finish has some licorice alongside black cherry and that oak note.  It’s a very pleasurable wine with nice, young mouthfeel that will entertain a hearty meal, steaks, pasta or some rich cheese.  I really like it and for $12, would stock some for a dark stormy night to sip on by the fire.  Drink till 2026.  90 points and 5 stars.  Salut….

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Los Clop Paraje Altamira Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, Mendoza, Argentina

27 Wednesday Nov 2019

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$30, 4 stars, 91 points, Argentina, cabernet sauvignon, Mendoza


Medium intensity purple in the glass with a nose of black cherries, eucalyptus and iodine.  The palate gives me a dry, tart opening of blackberry reduction coupled with balsamic and that iodine note.  The mid palate is very dry with the tannins coating my gums.  Black fruits and Ribena are prominent.  The finish is decent length with the tannins really gripping.  There’s black cherry and a hint of oak back there amongst the black tea reduction.  Well crafted and built for the long haul.  Drink now if you like em dry or cellar for 3 years, until 2029.  91 points.  For $30, this wine gets 4 stars.  Salut….

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Baron Philippe de Rothschild Mouton Cadet 2016, Bordeaux, France

22 Friday Nov 2019

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$9, 5 stars, 88 points, bordeaux, Cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, france, merlot


It’s been a while since I drank some of this old perennial favorite.  This vintage shows dark purple in the glass.  On the nose- charcoal, blackberry and fig.  The palate is very pleasant and easy drinking.  There are blackberry notes, tar, wintergreen and crunchy tannins.  They dry the gums immediately but not excessively.  The mid palate is much the same, black fruits abound.  The tannins really go the distance and lead me to the finish of blackberry pie meets a slate.  There is quite a bit of minerality alongside the tannic thrust.  The wine is well balanced and well made.  There’s a reason I drank a crapload of it in the early days, it offers good value for money.  Drink till 2025 with a nice NY Strip and creamed spinach.  I’m going 88 points and 5 stars for $9. Salut….

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Chateau de Landiras 2014, Graves, France

15 Friday Nov 2019

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$20, 5 stars, 91 points, bordeaux, cabernet sauvignon, france, merlot


Very dark bluish purple in the glass with very fine legs, indicative of the 12.5% alcohol.  On the nose it is purple fruit, blackberry, damson and cinnamon.  The palate is surprisingly fresh, I was expecting a more traditional attack.  This one pops with plums, black cherry and lithe tannins.  The mid palate gives me cola, black cherry and some strawberry jam.  Strange, I know.  The finale is really a nice, smooth, fruity affair with really well tamed tannins holding the blackberry and cola flavors on for a good 30 seconds.  There is a trace of acidic bite, but it is appropriate and balances the nice tannins.  This is a tasty, decent wine that gets 91 points from me.  I would drink right away until 2024 with lighter meat dishes, perhaps beer-can chicken or even roast duck breast.  Strangely enough the Decanter score of 95 was opposite to the mid 80’s score given by others.  I think this is a steal at $20 and it gets 5 stars from me.  Salut….

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Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Washington, USA

18 Friday Oct 2019

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$15, 5 stars, 91 points, cabernet sauvignon, columbia valley, washington


This winery is one of the most consistent mass producers out there.  I have never had a bad bottle and the QPR (Quality Price Ratio) is always tops.  So, when I saw this at my local Costco- no brainer.

We start off with a slightly cloudy medium hued purple.  It’s opaque AF though.  The nose is lovely- leather, plums, cassis…. I am excited.  The palate lives up to my expectations, lovely pure fruit flavors of plums, black currants and very well integrated oak.  The mid palate is scrumptious.  More dark fruits, some leather and a touch of wood.  I will say:  There is a very fine grained tannic component that is barely perceptible making this wine delicious and easy to drink now but does not bode well for extended cellaring.  The acidity is feint and nicely balanced.  The finish is relatively short but tasty, black fruits galore and that touch of dryness.  This is a real treat to pop and pour if you can find it (just go to Costco!).  It will pair well with many a mid-week meal yet hold it’s own against a leg of lamb on a Sunday roast.  I’m really thinking Lasagna is the perfect match.  Either way, enjoy this 91 point gem and drink till 2023.  5 stars for sure as you can pick it up all day long for under $15.  Salut….

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