2009 Kalbarri Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia

Color – Ruby red

Nose – Raspberry, oak

Taste – The fact that the nose was so muted had me wondering if I’d gotten a dud of a wine. That and the fact that this wine features a “cute” drawing of a bird really had me wondering. But when I took my first sip, I was overjoyed to be proven wrong. The nose might be subdued, but the wine itself is not. It’s not a big, bold Cab rather this is a medium bodied Cab that features some very different flavors and textures. First off, I get some sour cranberries and sweet/sour red currants those fade to a nice mid-palate of roses and hints of mint, then there is a smooth transition to the medium-long finish that is filled once again with cranberries and some oaky black pepper flavors. The wine is a lot less “weighty” than most Cabernet Sauvignons, which works here. I was nicely surprised by the delicate flavors and textures rather than disappointed. This would go great with pizza or a burger maybe even a roast beef sandwich. It’s a nice change of pace from the “big” reds I normally favor, plus it’s priced right.

Overall, I would say this is a surprisingly good wine for the money. At 6 bucks you won’t find a lot of stellar wines and this isn’t stellar, but it is so far off the beaten path of what 6 dollar Cabs are that it’s refreshing and I will definitely buy it again. I would say pick this up for a sipping wine or as a way to introduce newcomers to red wines (though make sure to tell them that this isn’t a normal Cabernet Sauvignon). Good QPR, different enough to please my palate, and something I can enjoy just about any time of the day.

Kalbarri Wines