Napa Valley Cabernet is almost always over-priced and is often generic despite the hefty price tag. This wine has a generic flavor profile but without the hefty price tag, and it has enough fresh acidity and edgy structure on the finish to grab your attention. The grapes are mostly from Napa’s next door neighbor Lake County so think of this as a poor man’s “Napa Cab”.
The nose shows ripe blueberry and blackberry, caramel, and a bit of dusty earth. It’s soft and smooth upfront with a medium body and prominent vanilla notes. Herbal notes are hinted at but obscured by the oak flavors. Much of the action happens on the finish where it sheds some softness via the punchy acidity and tannic bite revealing a bit of charred wood in the process. The tannins are medium grain and persistent.
This wine delivers a lot of richness for the price exuding a casual, contented, benign vulgarity like the Stones Miss You:
Score: 88
Price: $15
Alc: 14%
Exploring the Philosophy of Food and Wine 