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Tag Archives: cabernet sauvignon

Blaauwklippen Red Blend 2019, Stellenbosch, South Africa

30 Wednesday Oct 2024

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$19, 4 stars, 89 points, Cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, South Africa, stellenbosch


Medium ruby colored with slight staining and a medium viscosity.  The nose has medium intensity aromas of rooibos tea, black and red plums, black cherry, charcoal, bell pepper, mint, cola and currants.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a medium body and medium tannins. The acidity really picks up on the mid palate but keeps the wine very light and fresh.  Flavors of currant, black plum, red plum, singed alder, mint and cola.  The herbaceous note I smelled is non-existent on the palate.  The tannins and acidity are nicely balanced and the wine is lip-smacking.  I paid $19 for this blend of 90% Cab Sav, 10% Cab Franc that get 89 points from me and 4 stars.  I’m pairing it with grilled Andouille and Chorizo sausages with some gratin potatoes.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Blaauwklippen Red Blend

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Bodegas Santa Ana Homage Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, Maipu, Argentina

22 Tuesday Oct 2024

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$8, 4 stars, 86 points, Argentina, cabernet sauvignon, maipo valley, Mendoza


Medium ruby colored with light viscosity (12% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of candied plum, black cherry, menthol, blackberry and purple licorice.  It’s rather one-dimensional.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a medium (-) body and medium (-) tannins.  Slightly tart black cherry and blackberry greet me with some interesting menthol and licorice notes.  Once again, not overly complex, but for $8 a pop I was not expecting much more.  The finish is rather short and succinct.  For an everyday drinker this is quite quaffable and gets 86 points from me- which makes it a 4 star effort in my book that needs to be popped and poured rather than cellared.  I’m gonna use some in a red wine reduction, let’s see how that works out.  Salut….

Bodegas Santa Ana Homage Cabernet Sauvignon

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Connell Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Chalk Hill, Sonoma County, California

01 Tuesday Oct 2024

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$75, 3 stars, 91 points, bordeaux blend, Cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, california, Chalk Hill, merlot, sonoma county


Deep purple colored with red highlights on the rim, medium staining and high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of black cherry, black plum, blackberry, mint, acai berry, singed alder, capsicum and a medicinal note.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a full body and high tannins that are grippy.  The alcohol shines through easily and overpowers me on the first sip.  Letting that blow off I get ripe black and blue fruit, some green notes from mint and bell pepper with a hint of oak integration by way of that medicinal note and coffee.  The finish is a dry affair that lasts medium in length.  It’s a young wine for sure, but I see promise once the tannins sort themselves out.  Hopefully the heat integrates better with the whole package as I think it can cellar nicely and gets 91 points from me.  From their website you can order this limited production Bordeaux blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot for $75.  That makes this a 3 star effort to pair with Ribeyes or a hearty Lamb dish.  Salut….

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Tara Bella Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Russian River Valley, California

25 Wednesday Sep 2024

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$80, 2 stars, 89 points, cabernet sauvignon, california, Russian river valley, Sonoma


Deep purple colored with slight staining and medium viscosity (13.4% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of ripe blueberry, blackberry compote, cassis, eucalyptus, chocolate powder, oak, violets, coffee, caramel and sweet plum.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium body and medium (+) tannins that are chalky.  I am a bit unnerved by the tannins tbh, they detract from the whole package and force me to consider them before I can delve into the fruit flavors.  Once over the hurdle- it’s ripe, rich dark fruit with some interesting florals and nicely exercised oak treatment.  The finish is medium in length but quite astringent, the tannic grip is a little much methinks.  I loved the 2020 Estate Cabernet  and gave it 92 points- this one only gets 89.  For the same price point of $80, it only gets 2 stars unfortunately.  I have another bottle and will re-evaluate in the near future.  Meanwhile, this one looks to last till 2030 or so, but give it time or an aeration to try and soften the tannins.  Salut….

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Cosmologist Red Wine Knights Valley 2020, Sonoma County, California

24 Tuesday Sep 2024

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$28, 3 stars, 87 points, bordeaux blend, Cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, california, merlot, sonoma county


Deep ruby colored with slight staining and medium viscosity (15.2% ABV). The nose has medium intensity aromas of black cherry, bramble berry, black plum, mint, eucalyptus, vanilla, licorice, fresh linen and cocoa powder.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, medium (+) body and medium tannins that are a touch astringent and green.  Flavors of black plum, bramble berry, black cherry, licorice, oversteeped black tea, eucalyptus, and a hint of vanilla.  The finish is hot right off the bat, detracting from the flavors I seek.  The length is medium (-) and a bit astringent, akin to black tea that has been made too strong. To me this is a bit disjointed, albeit the fruit is nice and ripe, the tannins are a bit underripe and the high alcohol is a detractor.  I would give this wine 87 points and for the $28 price point it gets 3 stars.  Drink this blend of 53% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon till 2028 with steak or stew.  Salut….

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Precision Wine Co. Gait Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Napa Valley, California

14 Saturday Sep 2024

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$25, 3 stars, 89 points, cabernet sauvignon, california, Napa


Deep purple with light staining and medium viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of black plum, black raspberry, eucalyptus, chocolate powder, coffee, violets and acai berry.  The palate is dry with medium (-) acidity, a medium body and medium (-) tannins that are gritty. Flavor intensity is higher than the nose and I get the dark blue fruit again with coffee and chocolate notes.  The florality is more pronounced with violets alongside anise.  The finish is a mixed bag for me- the fruit fades as the tannins finally smooth out and get interesting.  A bit disjointed methinks.  I paid $25 for this bottle that scored very highly, for me it’s an 89 pointer that gets 3 stars.  Drink till 2028.  My pairing is grilled Lamb kabobs and lemon potatoes.  Salut….

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Tara Bella Cabernet Sauvignon Al Di La 2018, Sonoma County, California

05 Thursday Sep 2024

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$80, 3 stars, 91 points, cabernet sauvignon, california, Sonoma


Deep purple colored with slight staining and high viscosity (13.4% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of blackberry compote, cassis, eucalyptus, mint, tobacco, cigar box, coffee, vanilla, black raspberry and licorice.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, medium (+) body and medium (+) tannins that are nicely integrated.  Ripe berries with vanilla, mint, oak, eucalyptus and tobacco highlight the flavors with a medium intensity.  The finish is decently long in length and turns a touch tart whilst thinning out a bit.  The richnesss and intensity of this wine is a touch shy of where I was expecting it to be considering the other bottles I have tried from this winery.  It’s a good drop mind you and gets 91 points from me.  Listing at $80 it becomes a 3 star effort in IMHO.  I think it has some cellaring capacity and should drink nicely till 2028.  Salut….

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Vina Requingua ‘Toro de Piedra’ Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Curico Valley, Chile

02 Monday Sep 2024

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$15, 5 stars, 91 points, cabernet sauvignon, chile, curico valley


Medium ruby colored with slight staining and a high viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of mint, graphite, black plum, black cherry, blackberry, bramble and vanilla.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, medium (+) body and medium (+) tannins that are chalky.  The herbal notes take center stage followed by black fruit and then some coffee, oak, vanilla, and dark chocolate.  The finish has a very nice mouthfeel with the chalky tannins interwoven with fruit.  It’s a very decent drop and will develop with some cellaring.  Drink this 91 point effort till 2028.  I paid $15 which makes it a 5 star wine.  Salut….

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Tara Bella Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Sonoma County, California

28 Wednesday Aug 2024

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$80, 5 stars, 93 points, cabernet sauvignon, california, Sonoma, Sonoma Cabernet


Deep ruby, almost inky in color with light staining and high viscosity (13.4% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of blackberry, cassis, mint, vanilla, eucalyptus, black plum compote, coffee, charred oak, acai berry, dried green herbs and a hint of caramel.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, medium (+) body and medium (+) tannins that are youthful and grippy. Mouth-coating ripe black fruit with vanilla, mint, eucalyptus and oak feature predominantly with some dried herbs on the back end.  The tannins are delightful, they grip and then fade gently, allowing the fruit to shine through to a long finish.  This is a pretty silky and luscious wine that I am thoroughly enjoying.  My pairing is pepper steak and French fries.  93 points for this $80 bottle makes it a 4-5 star effort.  It has some cellaring capacity- I would drink till 2032.  Salut….

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Tara Bella Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Russian River Valley, California

12 Monday Aug 2024

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$80, 4 stars, 92 points, cabernet sauvignon, california, Russian river valley, Sonoma


Deep ruby colored with blue highlights, slight staining and medium viscosity (13.4% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black plum, blackberry compote, charcoal, black olives, black cherry akin to Luxardo, a hint of green herb and some medicinal notes from oak.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium (+) body and medium tannins that are melded.  The quality of fruit is ripe and tantalizing, which initially had me wonder if there was any RS.  Ripe black cherry, blackberry, black plum, mint, oaky warmth with that medicinal note alongside cocoa powder.  It’s delicious and finishes medium in length with a silky mouthfeel.  I like it, a lot.  92 points for this $80 bottle makes it a 4 star wine to drink till 2030.  Salut….

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