One of the few purchases I’ve made that breaks my budget
rule; one could call this a splurge wine seeing as it comes in at $24.99. I
don’t feel that this is that much of a splurge. Sure it breaks my rules, but I
picked it up when it was on sale for 20 dollars; so I figured it would count.
It pours a very dark red with midnight flecks throughout. Wafting from the
glass are amazing aromas of spice box, black cherry, blackberry jam, and cedar.
The attack is just as amazing as the nose, full of dark berry and stone fruit
flavors intermingled with wood smoke, dust and a nice level of chalkiness. The
mid-palate is exceeding smooth, with soft tannins that glide over the tongue
tempering some of the sour cherry flavors that pop up, and leaving my tongue
and gums with a wonderfully clean and tingly sensation from the perfect
astringency. The finish is delicate and long, stretching out with flavors and
textures of oak/cigar box, anise, white pepper, chocolate covered cherry, cola
and dirt; then rallying back with hints of leather, ash and black tea. This is
a full bodied wine that comes across just a little lighter in body due to the
balance of flavors and textures, especially where tannins and alcohol are
concerned. It left my tongue with a black cherry and burnt toast flavor that
was actually quite nice.
Even though this is a little bit above my usual price point,
I still love this particular Cabernet Sauvignon. It falls into a budget wine if
you can get it on sale, if not you should still pick it up for a special
occasion or when you have wine-discerning guests coming over. The complexity
and overall smooth flavors/textures of this wine make it a truly special
bottle. I would rate this a good QPR at 25 dollars, and good-to-great if you
can find it under 20 dollars. For a fan of the Cabernet Sauvignon varietal this
is definitely a winner and one to add to your list of Cabs to try before you
die. Maybe add a bottle to your cellar, you won’t be disappointed.