Tag Archives: cabernet sauvignon

Camillle Benitah Volute 2020, Napa Valley, California

19 Thursday Oct 2023

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Deep ruby colored with staining on the walls and a high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose of this Bordeaux blend has medium intensity aromas of black plum, blackberry, black currants, a hint of eucalyptus, baking spices, vanilla, cedar and mint.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins that are polished.  The intensity on the palate is greater than the nose.  I get lots more black fruit which which is ripe along with mint, vanilla and baking spice.  The tannins turn a bit chalky on the back end of this full bodied wine and the finish is medium in length.  I love this style of wine  and when done with ripe fruit it can be very delicious, but this bottle seems to lack a certain depth for me.  It’s good, but not great (I’m a big fan of the winemaker btw).   90 points from me and for $25- it gets 4 stars.  I’m pairing with marinated grilled steaks and Lemon roasted potatoes.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Specially Selected Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Napa Valley, California

16 Monday Oct 2023

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Deep ruby colored with medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  Aromas of candied plum, black raspberry, violets, licorice and nutmeg.  The palate is dry (?) with medium acidity and medium tannins.  I’m not sure if there is any residual sugar here, perhaps a trace.  The candied aroma I got on the nose is showing off as really ripe black currants on the palate.  I still get the black raspberry and licorice as well.  The body is medium in weight and the wine finishes with a short ending.  I like the mouthfeel of this $15 Aldi wine, it’s not overly grippy or tart, easy to drink and generally very agreeable.  I would pair this Napa Cab with grilled burgers, perhaps pizza or even lamb shanks.  It gets 89 points from me and 4 stars.  Drink till 2027.  Salut….

Sam Plunkett ‘Gentle Annie’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Victoria, Australia

10 Tuesday Oct 2023

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Medium ruby colored with medium viscosity (14% ABV).  The nose has medium (+)  intensity aromas of mint, blackberry, black plum, eucalyptus, violets, graphite and espresso.  The palate is full bodied and dry with medium (+) acidity and medium (+) tannins that are fine grained.  The palate has ripe dark fruit, telltale mint and eucalyptus for this varietal and region plus oak nuance with the espresso.  The finish is tart from the acidity and refreshing.  It lasts for a decent length, inviting me back for another taste.  Lovely stuff that gets 91 points from me.  We are painting it with Pot Roast but a hearty steak will do the trick as would some lamb chops.  Drink this $18 offering till 2030.  5 stars.  Salut….

Clos Apalta ‘Le Petit Clos’ 2019, Apalta Valley, Chile

08 Sunday Oct 2023

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Inky deep ruby colored with staining on the walls and a high viscosity (14.5% ABV).  The nose has intense aromas of açaí berry, cassis, mint, vanilla, coffee bean, blueberry, kir and powdered mocha.  It’s amazing to smell.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and medium (+) tannins that are very fine grained.  A full body with rich flavors of açaí, blueberry, cassis and oak lashings leads to a medium (+) length finish that turns a touch tart.  Delicious stuff that gets 94 points from me.  It’s drinking beautifully now but will develop nicely till 2032.  For $40, it’s a no-brainer to stock up on that gets 5 stars.  I’m pairing with Sunday roast and a Port wine reduction. It’s a blend of 49% Carmenere, 30% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot.  Salut….

Pakravan Papi Prunicce di Riparbella Super Tuscan 2020, Toscana, Italy

26 Tuesday Sep 2023

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Medium ruby with some staining and high viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose of this Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon blend has aromas of leather, cherry, rose, vanilla extract, iron, plum and red licorice.  The palate is dry with high acidity and medium (+) tannins that are a touch gritty.  The body is medium with flavors of rose, leather, red fruit, oak nuance and a graphite/iron streak.  The finish is medium in length and the tannins are more appealing on the back end, they caress rather than attack.  I like this $25 wine that will get better with a touch of cellaring.  Drink with pasta dishes from 2024-2030.  89 points makes it a 4 star effort.  Salut….

Carmen Stevens Red Blend 2020, Western Cape, South Africa

22 Friday Sep 2023

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Medium purple with hints of ruby and high viscosity (14.9% ABV).  The nose has ripe aromas of blackberry, black cherry, vanilla bean, blueberry cobbler, capsicum, lavender and baking spices.  It’s a very enticing nose- can’t wait to taste.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium (+) tannins.  The ripe fruit I got on the nose is a touch subdued but the dark berry and cherry is evident as is the oak influence.  The tannins turn a touch chalky on the mid palate but this full bodied wine delivers a nice mouthfeel.  The heat is a bit noticeable on the back end which has a medium length finish.  I like it!  I’m going with 89 points for this $13 blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon making it a 5 star effort.  I would pair it with BBQ, perhaps a stew or even Osso Bucco.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

True Oak Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Oak Knoll, California

14 Thursday Sep 2023

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Deep purple/ruby with medium viscosity (13.8% ABV).  The nose has intense aromas of mint, blackberry, black plum, anise, baking spice and cocoa.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium tannins.   The fruit is very ripe so the flavors of this medium bodied wine are almost sweet but I doubt there is any RS.  Blackberry, cassis, black plum, mint and dark chocolate are cloaked in very supple and smooth tannins that carry this wine to a long finish.  I like it- 92 points worth.  This $40 Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Oak Knoll region of Napa Valley.  It is delicious and gets 5 stars from me.  I’m pairing it with rack of Lamb.  Drink till 2030.  Salut….

Chateau Pierre de Montignac 2020, Medoc, France

11 Monday Sep 2023

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Inky purple colored with medium viscosity (13.5% ABV).  The nose gives me aromas of blackberry, black plum, black pepper, charred oak, menthol, star anise and a touch of garigue.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and medium tannins- it’s quite a soft mouthfeel with medium body.  Black fruit, charred oak and some earthiness frame out the flavors of this wine that delivers a medium length finish.  It’s open for business now and will drink nicely till 2028.  For $23 this 91 point Bordeaux blend of Merlot and Cab Sav gets 5 stars from me.  Pair with Filet au Poivre.  Salut….

Mission Estate Winery Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Gimblett Gravels, New Zealand

31 Thursday Aug 2023

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Medium ruby with high viscosity (14% ABV) and slight staining.  Aromas of blackberry cobbler, black plum, licorice, toasty oak, vanilla, baking spices and a touch of mint.  Medium acidity coupled with medium (+) tannins and a full body lead to a delicious dark fruit melange.  Nicely integrated oak adds depth and warmth whilst the tannins caress my gums with their powdery texture- a treat to drink.  Medium length finish makes this a 91 point wine to enjoy till 2027.  I purchased it in the UK for about $25, making it a 4 star effort.  Salut….

Egervin Egri Bikaver Bulls Blood 2020, Eger, Hungary

07 Monday Aug 2023

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Next up at our tasting was this interesting red from Hungary.  I have read in numerous books about the Bull’s Blood, a blend of Blaufrankish, aka Kekfrankos, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Oporto. In the glass- medium ruby colored with low viscosity which belied the 12% ABV.  On the nose we got butterscotch, super ripe cherry, new leather, vanilla, caramel, licorice, cedar funk and a medicinal note (quite complex with lots of wood derived notes).  On the palate it had medium acidity, medium (-) tannins and a light body, as was to be expected.  Sour cherry dominated the palate along with grape, licorice, funk, neutral white oak and burnt raisin. It finished medium and had several people scratching their heads.  It was way more complex than I was expecting and was a real treat- especially at $10.  I gave it a respectable 14 points and on a technical side- 90.  5 stars for sure and a must try if you’ve never had this blend.  Drink now.  Salut….