Cabernet Sauvignon

This is a nice almost old school California Cabernet.  Thought there is plenty of fruit, I would not call it a fruit bomb.  More of a middle ground style of wine.  It is aged for two years in American oak, 50% new.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has cassis, cloves, and nutmeg.  On the palate, this has cassis over a dried wood quality.  Good acidity.  Medium to full bodied.  13.8% ABV.  Good finish.  This is still young but is drinking well.  It works a bit better with food though its fine on its own.  Think stews and casseroles.  It should continue to mture for five to seven m

This is a Trader Joe's wine made from Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.  It is an easy drinking rose that is easy on the budget.  Deep pink/orange in color.  The nose has some watermelons and strawberries.  Light bodied.  On the palate, a bit of clean strawberries.  Drank well enough on its own and worked with a variety of garden and fruit salads.  Drink up this summer.  

This is a Bordeaux blend with 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc.  It is a bit more understated than the Cabernet from the True Vineyard.  Drinking well now, this improved with a bit of air and really needs a few more years in the cellar.  But it is fantastic right now.  People who prefer Bordeaux will probably prefer this to the Cab and visa-versa.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, slight blueberries, milk chocolate, cigar box, vanilla and spice.  Yes, there is a lot going on.  On the palate, this has a wonderful texture.  Compl

This is a very nice value in Napa Cabs.  Of course, it is still an expensive wine, but that happens in Napa.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has cassis, sandalwood and other spices, and cigar box.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is big but not over the top.  Lots of cassis with underlying earthiness/tobacco.  It is delicious.  Still young, this should easily mature for the next decade and probably two.  Drinking quite well now though.  It will go well with roasted meats or veggies.  

Sineann gets grapes in Oregon and Washington and makes quite a few different wines.  This one is a blend of grapes that did not get bottled as a single varietal.  It is always a great wine and a better value.  This vintage it contains Merlot, Cabernet and Zinfandel.  By the way, Abondante means "generous" in Italian.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, spice, slight chocolate and forest floor.  On the palate, there are light tannins.  This is medium to full bodied.  Plenty of black cherry fruit with some cherry over a forest floor quality.  Good finish.  This is very fle

This is the base bottling from one of the better producers of Napa Cabernet.  The grapes come from Larkmead Vineyard.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, spice, and a bit of floral notes.  On the palate, this is lush.  Medium tannins.  Lots of cassis over a bit of dry earth and slight vanilla.  Long finish.  This will continue to mature and improve for another five to ten and be good for another decade and a half after that.  It is delicious right now on its own and will need bolder foods.  As it matures it will offer a broader array of possibilities.  

This is an inexpensive Cabernet from Chile made by the same family who makes such great wines in Bordeaux, France.  This is a wine that is meant for people who like wine and don't want to spend a ton of money with a goal of finding something drinkable.  This meets that goal.  Ruby/purple in color.  The nose has some dusty black raspberries.  On the palate, this has black raspberry fruit.  It is a bit sweet.  Clean, short finish.  It presents a fine alternative on restaurant lists with high markups as well.  It is not meant to age.  It would be good with a burger or other grilled foods.  

This is from a can although it appears they also sell this in bottles.  It is a blend of Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Grenache.  It has a reasonably deep pink/ruby color.  The nose has cherries and raspberries.  On the palate, this is easy drinking and refreshing.  Flavors of cherries and strawberries.  No tannins.  Ready to drink now.  Worked well with salty fried food but should go with a wide variety of foods.  The trend of wine cans is catching on.  For wines that are made for now, this is a convenient, non-breakable alternative.  I hope more wineries go this route.  

This is coming along quite nicely.  It's not yet at peak and still drinks big and young.  Purple in color.  The nose is big with black cherries, some black raspberry, spice, some chocolate and a bit of coffee.  On the palate, this has medium tannins.  Lots of black cherry and black raspberry fruit over a bit of char/dark chocolate.  Slight black licorice on the finish.  This is delicious and great on its own or with bolder roasted meat (or vegetable) dishes.  It will continue to improve for another five to ten years, and be good for another ten to fifteen after that if well stored.  This bo

This is a Bordeaux blend Super Tuscan wine from one of the top producers in Tuscany.  It is one of their less expensive offerings and is always an outstanding wine.  This wine is surprisingly open and drinking well already considering that 2015 is an outstanding vintage in Tuscany.  Purple in color with ruby swirls.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, slight tobacco and spice.  On the palate, this has a nice juiciness to it.  Black cherry fruit dominates at this point with some underlying tobacco/earth.  Light tannins.  Nice finish.  This might still improve but either way should be good