2007 The Show Cabernet Sauvignon $13

A California Cab by the Three Thieves and Rebel Wine. They don’t own vineyards, they source the grapes from wherever they can get the most bang for the buck. In this case, the Central Coast, Mendocino, Lodi, Napa Valley, Lake County and Sonoma. The 2005 Vintage got huge buzz as the best low price Cab around. Since they are at the mercy of the market to get the best grapes at the right price, this wine can fluctuate in taste from year to year.  85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petite Sirah, with the other 4% split between Merlot and Cab Franc. Aged in French and American Oak.

Well, they got the color right, deep dark cherry red with strawberry highlights. Not a lot going on with the nose, some red fruit, some vanilla and not a whole lot more. Nice mouth feel, almost oily, it really brings the flavor to all points in your mouth. The taste is intense cherry softened by vanilla, not super complex, but good tasting. Good cherry cola finish.  The tannins are very light, I don’t think you want to age The Show, definitely a drink it now wine.

A lighter style Cab, this won’t turn the heads of the Silver Oak crowd, but a good alternative to Shiraz or Malbec. A tasty sipper, drink this while playing Xbox360, it will make any game a little more interesting.

2005 Erasmo Vina La Reserva de Caliboro

Estate grown and bottled in the Maule Valley Region of Chile (The Maule Valley is near the epicenter of the recent earthquake). A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 30% Merlot, this is the classic blend of the French Bordeaux grapes, but grown in Chile, under the direction of Francesco Marone Cinzano, a top Italian producer. Aged 18 months in French Oak barriques (barrels to you and me), the Erasmo has aging potential and should continue to improve for several years. The grapevines  were imported to Chile from France especially for this project.

The color is black cherry with a light red halo. Loads of spice on the nose, dark ripe fruit, dusty autumn leaves and whiffs of oak. A light mouth feel, but big on flavor. The first taste to hit your tongue is ripe blackberries, blueberries and silky french vanilla, and then you feel/sense the tannins at the back of your mouth. A huge, long lasting finish of cherries, tea and butterscotch. Still a young wine, with a nice firm structure. This is a wine that you want to buy several bottles of, drink one now, another in a couple of years, and another in a few more years. The tannins will soften and the level of flavors will become more complex with the passage of time. The Erasmo has a classy sophisticated flavor now and will pair well with steaks and chops.

Wine Courtesy of Palm Bay Imports

2005 Costano Solanera – $14

91 points Wine Spectator, 90 points Stephen Tanzer and Robert Parkers’ Spanish Wine Bargain under $20. Imported and custom blended by Eric Solomon, which is always a good sign, wines with Solomon’s name on the back label are usually a very good bet. A  red wine blend of 65% Monastrell, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Tintorera sourced from the Yecla Region of Southern Spain, an up and coming wine region that does not have a trendy name yet. Unfiltered and unfined, ten months aged in oak.

The color is a dark plush deep blood red. The nose is smoke, red twizzlers and dry autumn leaves.  Big and chewy with noticeable but smooth tannins . Tastes of silky dark chocolate truffles with liqueur centers, figs and blueberries. The finish is exactly the same as the initial taste that slowly fades into oblivion. A lush and I dare say, classy wine. Not fun and fruity, but deep dark and thought provoking. Another case of a under $20 wine that can compete with the big boys.

2007 Snap Dragon Cabernet Sauvignon – $8

Had an interesting wine at my local P.F. Chang’s last night, where they do a little something different for their flights – they offer a “build your own” flight of three.

I went for the 2007 MacMurray Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, (reviewed here a while back), the 2007 7 Deadly Zins Zinfandel, and the awesomely easy-to-drink 2007 Snap Dragon Cabernet Sauvignon.

Dark burgundy in the glass, chocolate covered cherries on the nose, medium body with raspberries and blackberries up front give way to a smoooooth toasty vanilla spice and toffee finish.

Winemaker Jason Dodge sourced his fruit from the best vineyards in California, creating this affordable, approachable, great at twice the price cab that will go well with BBQ, grilled steak, roast beef, pizza or spicy pork dishes.

2007 Les Traverses de Fontanes – $15

This is a delicious and unusual bottle of wine, and an amazing deal at under $20.  Although it is Cabernet Sauvignon, it pours out bright purple and has a lot of vibrant fruit.  It has raspberry and strawberry and a hint of cocoa.

It honestly is one of the most unique Cabs we have ever tasted, and we really liked it.  It is a must try.

2001 Arboleda Merlot – $15

Talk about an end of the bin special, this is a Chilean Merlot from the Colchagua Valley that has nine years of bottle age. Now most wines in the under $20 category are not made to be cellared for too long, but then again almost all red wines could benefit from a couple of years of age, so how much is too much? This particular Merlot is a joint venture between Robert Mondavi and Vina Caliterra of Chile, it has a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon added along with a splash of Carmenere to give the Merlot some body and structure. It has been aged in oak barrels, so there is a good chance this wine is still improving, rather than on the way down. The color is a glistening see thru burgundy. The nose is elegant, spice drops, dark stewed fruit, beef gravy and a dusty flower garden scent. The mouth feel is light upfront with tannins grabbing at the back of your mouth. Not much fruit is evident, I had the bottle open for three hours before I tasted it and I am using my Taste of Purple glass that helps bring air into the wine, so the wine shouldn’t be “tight”. The vanilla from the oak is there, but it is not over powering. There are is prune or fig flavors, but the main component is the vanilla from the oak. I can’t come to any conclusions about cellaring wine because 1) I don’t know under what conditions this was stored and 2) I don’t know what it tasted like when it was young. But, it is an out of balance wine, still drinkable but not all that enjoyable.

2005 Estancia Cabernet Sauvignon – $18

“We will sell no wine before its time.”

If you’re a geezer like me, you may remember that this was the slogan for Paul Mason wines when Orson Welles was their pitchman in the 1970s and early 80s. And what happened to Paul Mason wines? I don’t know for sure, but they must have fallen on hard times, because In 1986 Augustin Huneeus, a Chilean immigrant and then-president of Franciscan Vineyards, purchased the former Mason vineyard ranches near the Monterey town of Soledad on California’s Central Coast, and established them as the home of Estancia Winery.

The first replanting of the estate Pinnacles Vineyards was to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. I first started drinking Estancia’s Cabernet Sauvignon in the late 80s. (The fruit must have been sourced from other local growers, because it wasn’t until 1999 that almost 700 acres in Paso Robles were purchased as the vineyard home for Estancia’s Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Red Meritage.)

For the last 20 years, Estancia Cabernet Sauvignon has been my most reliable daily wine. I always keep a case or two in the cellar. When I first started drinking it, it was a steal at $8 a bottle. Today, the normal retail has drifted towards the $16-18 range, but it can occasionally be had for as little as $12 per bottle by the case if you regularly search wine sites for sales. However, even at retail it remains an excellent value.

The color of this wine is classic deep purple. The nose is rather unassuming, and gives little prediction of what is to come. In the glass, the wine starts out quite fruit-forward, with plenty of dark black cherry and currant flavors. The fruit is aided and abetted by toasted sweet oak. Structure is provided by moderate and well-balanced tannins (which become more pronounced after an hour or so in the decanter), and just a hint of pepper and minerality.

These tasting notes are based on the 2005 which I’m currently drinking, but it hardly matters. They must make this stuff in huge tanks or barrels and reserve a large quantity each year for blending, because Estancia Cabernet is the very definition of an unerring house style. I have no idea whether or not this Cab cellars well; it never stays there long enough.

For all of my devotion to Estancia Cabernet Sauvignon, I don’t find the same magic in the rest of their portfolio, which includes all of the usual suspects. The Chardonnay is nice enough, but doesn’t stand out from other similarly priced Chards. The Pinot Noir is thin and unremarkable. The Meritage shows some finesse, but is a poor value at twice the price of the Cabernet. ”

By Stephen Hawk

2006 Santa Rita Medalla Real Cabernet Sauvignon – $16

This review is by request and a good request it is. The Santa Rita is rated #57 out of 100 Top Wines of 2009 by Wine Spectator. This Cab is from a single Estate in the Alto Jahuel region of the Maipo Valley in Chile. It is aged for 12 months in French oak barrels. 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, the alcohol level is 14.6%.

The color is a deep dark, slightly see thru ruby red, just like a Cabernet Sauvignon should look like. The nose is interesting, Fig Newtons and spice drops and toast with jam. Vanilla from the oak is very prominent on the palate, and then the dark fruit kicks in. Kind of an oily mouth feel, it really has the flavor stick to your mouth. The finish is chocolate cream mints and the finish does go on for awhile. It has a lot of tannins, but not out of balance, you can feel the tannins in the back of your palate, but it is smooth not a jolt. The taste changes as the wine opens up, different levels of tastes, just like the expensive wines. A very nice, serious  wine.

2008 Man Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon – $7

South African reds are far from my favorite. But if you ever catch yourself saying “I’ve tried x and I don’t like x, so I don’t drink x”, then you’re doing it wrong. Vintage to vintage, vineyard to vineyard, vintner to vintner – there’s a BROAD spectrum used as a palette for winemakers as artists to paint their masterpiece using only ONE ingredient. You might not like oaked Chardonnay for example, but have you tried it aged in stainless steel? You might not care for Cabernet Sauvignon, but have you tried it from the Dark Continent?

9 times out of 10, I won’t like South African red wine, but I always give it a chance and taste it when presented with the opportunity. And sure enough, eventually, because I kept an open mind, I’ll find the exception to the rule. That’s how it was with Chardonnay and I. Now I like it – some of it. Because I was persistent and kept at it, I was able to zero in on what I don’t like and what I do like.

In the case of South African reds, it was just a matter of giving them some time to get their shit together. This screwtop from South Africa had some strawberry and cherry on the nose, cassis and black cherry on the palate with a long finish of spicy oak. It may not be a classic, but it has its shit together. Finally.

Bold and juicy, throw some Simphiwe Dana on the MP3 player and drink it with hearty pasta or grilled red meats.

2005 Hyatt Rattlesnake Hill Cabernet Sauvignon – $10

The Hyatt 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington State’s grapes come from the New Appelation “Rattlesnake Hills” located in the northern part of the Yakima Valley.

The wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and it is a monster.  Dark garnet in color with tastes of black cherry, plum, blueberry and spice up front.  A rich, almost chewy tannic finish with hints of chocolate.  It is delicious right now, but will benefit with a year of aging. Scary (Halloween pun) value for the price! Enjoy it with steak, grilled red meat or smoked meats.

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