Archive for the ‘Cabernet Sauvignon Blend’ Category
Varietal: 59% Cabernet Sauvignon; 19% Cabernet Franc; 11% Malbec; 6% Merlot; 5% Petit Verdot
Region: Napa, California – USA
Cost: $40 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Rich garnet color goes perfectly with the holiday season and it’s aromas of toasted hazelnut and winter spices make this wine the perfect gift for anyone on your list.
My Review: Another of the bottles that I received just before the end of the year, and on an unseasonable warm day on Sunday (pushing 70 in Virginia? Really?) my wife and I decided to throw a couple of steaks on the grill and a bottle of red wine sounded like the perfect pairing.
While there are some violet streaks going through the wine, it was a nice deep red in the glass and I picked up aromas of spice and dark berry. In the mouth there was a ton of fruit, but it was by no means a “fruit bomb”. By that I mean there was plenty of body and depth to the wine that allowed the wine to present nuanced fruit flavors and have a bit of complexity and a medium-smooth finish.
Varietal: 88% Cabernet Sauvignon; 5% Syrah; 3% Merlot; 2% Petit Verdot; 1% Malbec; 1% Cabernet Franc
Region: California – USA
Cost: $11 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: The wine has a smooth texture and sweet, red fruit character that distinguishes California’s finest Cabernet Sauvignons, along with smoky oak, vanilla, and roasted nut accents to invigorate the palate and provide a lengthy finish. Enjoy with standing rib roasts, grilled steak, roast duck, spareribs, lasagna, or flavorful hard cheeses.
My Review: An evening where my wife was out and I was home alone with the dog to fend for myself on dinner usually only means one thing – steak, a baked potato, and a bottle of red wine to be enjoyed. There are worse ways to spend an evening. I’d been sitting on this sample until I could get around to cooking up a steak, and as tends to be the case, I’m glad I did.
Varietal: 50% Petite Sirah; 25% Cabernet Sauvignon; 15% Syrah; 10% Zinfandel
Region: Livermore Valley – California – USA
Cost: $15 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: The 2009 Crimson & Clover Conservancy is a velvety blend of signature Livermore varietal. Aromas of currant, clove, and vanilla lead into bright fruit flavors of blackberry on the palate. The spicy finish is soft and long with hints of leather and tobacco. Pairs well with black pepper-crusted filet mignon with goat cheese or grilled artichoke with tarragon aioli.
My Review: Given as how during my upcoming trip to San Francisco (we leave tomorrow and this day can’t end quick enough) I plan to visit Concannon Vineyards, I wanted to try the 2009 Crimson & Clover before heading out to avoid any awkward silences in regards to the bottle of wine sitting lonely at my home back in Virginia.
With Labor Day weekend upon us my wife and I knew we would be grilling, so in between getting laundry done and bags packed for our vacation, we threw a couple of steaks and lobster tails on the grill. Well, rather, we tried to, but then the grill ran out of gas and so we had to finish them inside using the oven. It all still worked out, especially when paired with the wine.
If you were paying attention during the 2011 North American Wine Bloggers Conference (and if you weren’t I’m deeply hurt), you’d have noticed that I did do a small tasting during one of the speed tastings of the CalNaturale Chardonnay. I was intrigued by it, especially being that it’s a boxed wine, so when they reached out to me after the conference and asked if I’d like full-sized samples I jumped at the opportunity.
First, a few things about the wines before I launch into my usual reviews. These wines are about as organic as you can get, with the grapes being grown organically and the tetra-packs used to ship them in reducing costs and being far more green than a bottle holding the same amount of juice. I know that “boxed wines” have this bad reputation, but I think both myself and a lot of other bloggers are starting to see the value in them, and the winemakers are starting to make really good, quality wines and packing them in non-traditional ways, so it’s good to see another non-bottled wine on the market.
Ok, now to the reviews.
Varietal: 36% Cabernet Sauvignon; 33% Merlot; 14% Syrah; 11% Cabernet Franc; 6% Malbec
Region: Washington – USA
Cost: $25
Winemaker’s Notes: Flagship wine of the estate, the HFE Red Mountain consistently displays dense color, firm tannins, and well-defined acidity. Always a majority blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this wine is suitable for drinking upon release, but will reward those with the patience to age it. This wine represents all vineyard blocks farmed within the Hedges Family Estate vineyard portfolio. A true chateau-production bottling, the HFE Red Mountain is the epitome of classic style, and one that represents the Terroir of the Red Mountain AVA in a pure and elegant form.
My Review: Oh big red wines, how I enjoy you. A couple of weeks ago the folks over at Hedges Family Estates sent me a sampling of their portfolio to check out, and included in that was two bottles of the 2008 Red Mountain. On my wife’s recent trip to South Carolina with her parents to visit her brother and his wife I sent one of those bottles with her to share with her brother. Her early report was that it was a steak wine, so the other night we grilled up some steak and lobster tails and popped open the other bottle.
Varietal: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon; 10% Grenache
Region: California – USA
Cost: $10 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: A dark reddish purple in the glass with aromas of black currants and mocha that lead into dark berries and fresh plums on the palate. Pairs well with short ribs, filet mignon, lamb chops, spaghetti Bolognese, and dark chocolate tort.
My Review: When I first got this sample I was admittedly surprised that it was labeled as a Cabernet Sauvignon as in my experience Big House wines tended to be a bit more…experimental. My surprise was quickly assuaged and replaced with interest as I saw in the tasting notes that the wine was 10% Grenache, a grape that I’ve been a fan of for some time, especially when blended with other red grapes.
