Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon

I have been frustrated by the lack of well made, affordable, and currently drinkable Cabernet Sauvignon. Most of these wines require years of aging. I tend to drink Merlot, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel more frequently than Cabernet Sauvignon.

In October of 2006, we held an informal tasting of Chilean wines. Click here for more discussion.

Description	$ / *	Tasting notes
2007 Montes Alpha Chile - Colchagua Valley	17 **	10/2011 Nice - medium body, good fruit. This has good balance, and a decent Cabernet flavor.
2008 Francis Coppola Claret California	14 **	12/2010 Medium body, good fruit. This wine has a decent Cabernet flavor. Good match for a steak.
2006 Louis Martini Napa Valley	18 **	06/2010 Medium body, good fruit. This wine has a decent Cabernet flavor, but ... some bottles are better than others.
2007 Ghost Pines Napa / Sonoma Valley	18 ***	06/2010 Nice - medium body, good fruit. This has good balance, and a decent Cabernet flavor.
2006 Benziger Vineyard Sonoma Valley	22 ***	06/2010 Nice - medium body, good fruit. This has good balance, and a decent Cabernet flavor.
2007 Louis Martini Sonoma Valley	11 **	05/2010 Nice - light body, medium fruit. This is a fairly light wine, but with a decent Cabernet flavor.
2005 Clone 337 Lodi Valley	12 **	12/2007 Nice - medium body and fruit. This has good Cabernet character. It is a deal at this price!
2006 Root: 1 Chile - Colchagua Valley	10 *	12/2007 Fair - medium body and fruit. This is a very dark wine, which tastes more like a Syrah than a Cabernet. Not recommended.
2004 Hess Allomi Napa Valley	25 **	08/2007 Fair - medium body, little fruit. This is a very dark wine, which seems to be lacking in fruit. Before 2004, this wine was sold as Hess Estate.
2005 Hess Select Napa Valley	16 **	09/2007 Fair - medium body, some fruit. This needs more fruit, and more varietal flavor.
2003 Beaulieu Vineyard Napa Valley	17 ***	09/2007 Nice - medium body, good fruit. This has good balance, and a decent Cabernet flavor.
2003 Hess Estate Napa Valley	25 ***	08/2007 Nice - medium body, good fruit. This has good balance, and a decent Cabernet flavor. After 2003, this wine is sold as Hess Allomi, since it is from the Hess Allomi vineyard.
2004 Valdivieso Reserve Cabernet Franc Chile - Central valley	14 **	12/2006 Fair - medium body, medium fruit. This seems a bit acidic, and lacking in fruit. Not recommended.
2003 Montes "Alpha" Chile - Colchagua Valley	12 **	12/2006 Nice - medium body, good fruit. This has good balance, and a decent Cabernet flavor.
2004 Finca "La Nina" Argentina	7 *	12/2006 Fair - light body, medium fruit. This doesn't taste much like a cabernet - we all liked the Santa Rita better. Not recommended.
2005 Santa Rita "120" Chile	6 **	12/2006 Nice - light body, medium fruit. This has a decent Cabernet flavor. This is a good deal at this price!
2005 Montes "Classic" Chile - Colchagua Valley	9 *	12/2006 Fair - big body, medium fruit. This has too much tannin and not enough fruit for me. This is definitely Not recommended.
2002 Arrowood Sonoma County	40 ***	12/2006 Full body, good fruit. The flavor was typical for a Cabernet. This is a HUGE wine, and I felt it needed a bit more fruit. This is pricey stuff!
2003 Casa Lapostolle Chile - Rapel valley	14 **	10/2006 Nice - medium body, good fruit. This has more tannin and less oak than Luis Felipe or Valdivieso.
2004 Luis Felipe Edwards Gran Reserva Chile - Colchagua Valley	13 ***	10/2006 Nice - medium body, good fruit. This has less tannin and more oak than the Casa Lapastolle.
2004 Valdivieso Reserve Chile - Central valley	12 ***	10/2006 Nice - medium body, good fruit. This has less tannin and more oak than the Casa Lapastolle.
2002 Januik Columbia Valley Washington State	40 ****	10/2006 Full body, good fruit. The flavor was complex (Cynthia described it as spicy), and it had a very long finish. This wine is surprisingly drinkable, but likely will improve with age. This is pricey stuff!
2003 Ch. St. Michelle Canoe Ridge Vineyard Washington State	27 **	10/2006 Medium body, medium fruit. This wine seems fairly light at first. It takes a while to open up, but it does have the body and flavor of a Cabernet. This is pricey, but may NOT be worth it.
2003 Ch. St. Michelle Indian Wells Vineyard Washington State	19 **	10/2006 Light body, good fruit. This wine may be TOO drinkable. It is very fruity, and more like a Syrah than a Cabernet. Does not have the complexity of a Cabernet, but it is fun to drink.
2003 Robert Mondavi Napa Valley	30 **	07/2006 Full body, medium fruit. The flavor was typical for a Cabernet, but there was not enough fruit. It seemed fairly heavy and tannic, and much overshadowed by the Januik. This is definitely Not recommended.
2002 Henry's Drive Australia	36 ****	12/2005 Full body, good fruit. The flavor was complex (Cynthia described it as spicy), and it had a very long finish. This wine is surprisingly drinkable, but likely will improve with age. This is pricey, but worth it.
2001 Newton Claret	17 **	02/2005 Medium body, medium fruit. This has a little varietal character, but seems unripe to me. It is not worth buying. Not recommended.
2002 Santa Rita Reserva - Chile	14 **	01/2005 Medium body, medium fruit. This does NOT have a typical nose, and does not taste like a Cabernet - more like a Syrah. It is not a bad wine, but not what I expected.

�Wine Ratings: * Fair, ** Good to Very Good, *** Excellent

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