A Tale of Two Cabs

A little change of pace, I figure I'll review two Cabernet Sauvignon's and we'll see how things pan out. Without further ado, on to the wines.

1. 2008 Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile

Color - Dark Red

Nose - Blackberries, Black Cherry, Currant, Vanilla

Taste - I get a healthy does of blackberries minus the tartness, and a lovely quick drying of my mouth and gums. This is a very young, tannic, astringent wine. Not particularly dry and it isn't very complex either. I wouldn't call this a "simple" wine just rather young. It has a TON of potential, and is my current Cabernet from Trader Joe's. There aren't many layers to this wine right now, but I bet if you cellar a few bottles for a few years you'd find that changes rather quickly. Though the wine has heat and tannic acid, neither overpower the wine. Mostly this is an early wine that's rather plain and subdued but is packed with the potential to be amazing.

Overall, the wine has a decent texture and mouthfeel, though it's only medium-bodied for a Cab. It has a medium-to-long finish and astringency that is more compelling than it's flavors. I'd say this is very nice for the price and for as young as this is it has a lot of character and a flavor that won't disappoint. Pick it up as a stand by when you run low on the good stuff or if you need a cheaper wine for a big shindig.

Santa Rita Wines

2. 2008 Montes Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile

Color - Garnet Red

Nose - Cherry, wood smoke

Taste - This wine is pretty dry, and fairly fruity when paired with strong flavored food. There is aquie a lot of bite from the alcohol, it's not overwhelming just a lot of bite. By itself it just really loses its complexity and ends up rather boring for a Cabernet Sauvignon. It's an ok wine at the sub 10 dollar ranger. It lacks a lot of depth but it finishes well with a clean feeling. The tannins are a little elusive, one sip they are very present and the next they are invisible. I think the wine is good for the price, but to be honest there are others that are just as good for a similar price(Redwood Creek for a few bucks less, Santa Rita 120 for about the same price, and Crios for just a few dollars more). It's hard t pin down this wine mostly because the alcohol bite takes a lot from the wine.

Overall, there is the potential for this wine to be spectacular. There's a lot going on under the surface, the heat masks a lot of the flavors. There is a little bitter hint towards the end of the finish that I find slightly off-putting but not enough to discount this wine. It' would benefit from a decent aeration and decanting to lessen the alcohol and bring out the flavors. Good, not great, enough to give it a try at this price point.

Montes Wines