Mount Bullion Vineyards Casto Oaks Gardner Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 Sierra Foothills, California

Here’s my choice for this week’s #FridayCabernetfix. This is a great California Cabernet.

Deep ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Extremely fruity on the nose with blackberries, black plums, cherry pie, cooked strawberries, cedar, vanilla, spices, chocolates, sweet tobacco, light vegetables, coffee, vinaigrette, black pepper and leather.

Full-bodied and big with medium plus acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, bell pepper, cooked figs, dried fruits, dark coffee, spices, vanilla, cinnamon, cedar, caramel, earth, tobacco leaf, green vegetables, graphite and peppercorn.

Medium plus on the finish with fine tannins and tangy raspberries.

This Cabernet Sauvignon from the Sierra Foothills in California, is drinking very nicely now, with very nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.

Still young and would benefit from a few more years in the bottle to smooth out, and reduce some of the acidity.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly.

I had it 6 months ago and there’s still no change. I would love to revisit this in 3 years as this is a great vintage.

This Single Vineyard Cabernet is good by itself as a sipping wine, or with food.

I paired it with hard cheeses, but it really went well with a light French Brie.

Grapes are grown at 3000 feet elevation and aged for 15 months in American Oak barrels.

14.4% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$27.

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Tussock Jumper Merlot 2017, USA

Here is my #MerlotThursday for the week.

Purple in color with medium intensity.

Fruity nose with cherries, raspberries, light vegetables, acetone, alcohol and black pepper.

Medium bodied with medium acidity and nice legs.

Dry on the palate with raspberries, cherries, strawberries, earth, bitter vegetables, spices, smoke and peppercorn.

Medium minus on the finish with well integrated tannins and sour cranberries.

This is a simple Merlot from somewhere in the US. Easy drinking with a bitter finish. Fruit forward, spicy and a good food wine.

Needs an hour to open up properly and remove some of the acidity. Would be a little better in a year.

I paired it with a cheese plate and crackers.

13.75% alcohol by volume.

82 Points.

$12.

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Next day update : drinking very nicely now. Removed much of the acidity and it is much more balanced which leads me to believe that it needs another year maybe two, in the bottle.

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Flam Winery Classico 2016, Judean Hills, Israel

This Israeli Cabernet Sauvignon based blend, is always enjoyable. Nicely balanced with mild complexity and a soft mouthfeel. Shows black and red fruits, vegetables, earth, wood, cloves, chocolates, spices and peppercorn.

Tangy finish with soft tannins.

Needs 90 minutes to open up properly, and will be better in a year or two.

A blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 8% Syrah and 10% Cabernet Franc. Aged for 10 months in French and American oak barrels.

I paired it with cheeses and the sunset.

14% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$30.

Joel Gott Wines 815 California Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, California

A pretty color of dark ruby with a wide reddish rim.

Fruity nose of blackberries, blackcurrants, black plums, sweet cherries, oak, raisins, dried figs, cloves, vanilla, spices, peppercorn, light earth, mocha, coffee and tobacco.

Full-bodied and bold with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, cloves, tobacco, coffee, chocolates, peppercorn, spices, earth and light vegetables.

Medium plus in length on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a nice Cabernet from California. Showing mild complexity and a nice mouthfeel. Spicy with lots of cloves, that gives it an aftertaste that I did not like.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with brisket.

Needs an hour to open up properly and show some tannins.

13.9% alcohol by volume.

87 Points.

$15.

Kuleto Estate India Ink Napa Valley Red Blend 2015, California

Dark purple in color with a purplish rim.

Fruity nose of sweet cherries, dried fruits, coffee, vanilla, wood, plums, metals, milk chocolates, tobacco and black pepper.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with plums, cherries, currants, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, vinaigrette, bitter greens, graphite and peppercorn.

Medium finish with full tannins and tangy cranberries.

This Napa Petite Sirah /Malbec blend is very enjoyable. Nicely balanced with a great mouthfeel. Shows nice complexity too.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up. Will be better in a year or two, but already enjoyable even by itself.

A blend of 60% Petite Sirah, 20% Malbec, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 5% Zinfandel and 3% Syrah.

14.8% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$25.

Cantina Delibori Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico 2010 DOCG, Verona, Italy

A beautiful color of ruby with a wide brick/orange rim.

Wonderful nose of baked black cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, earth, eucalyptus, prunes, raisins, leather, light alcohol, spices, light vegetables, vinaigrette, beef jerky and peppercorn.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs, smooth and elegant.

Dry and fruity on the palate with raisins, cherry syrup, prunes, dried figs, oak, spices, chocolates, earth, tobacco, leather, alcohol, vinaigrette, graphite and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a great Amarone. Well balanced with great complexity and a smooth and elegant mouthfeel.

This Amarone is still young, and still showing some alcohol notes, both on the palate and nose, which will go away in years to come.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly. Drinking very nicely now, and will be better in the next 5 to 10 years.

Yummy and Delicious 😋

15% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$60.

Poggi Wines Twin Palms Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Napa Valley, California

Time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a delightful and unique Napa Cabernet.

Ruby in color with a wide reddish rim and medium plus intensity.

Fruity nose with cherries, black plums, sweet strawberries, licorice, light vanilla, oak, spices, light vegetables, pencil lead and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with sweet raspberries, cherries, oak, light vanilla, spices, vegetables, earth, leather, tobacco leaf, graphites, herbs and peppercorn.

Long finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very nice Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Not a typical Napa Cabernet, and very enjoyable. Balanced with mild complexity.

Easy to drink, soft and smooth with mostly red fruits. Not as fruit forward, in your face, kind of red wine, as I expected from a Napa Cabernet, but rather a soft red wine with lots of elegance. Feels like a graceful right bank Bordeaux.

Needs 90 minutes to open up properly and remove some of the acidity.

Would age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years and bring in some more complexity. I would want to try this in two to three years to see how it evolves, as I see it might be a little young right now.

I paired it with cheeses and crackers.

A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon,
6% Merlot, and 4% Cab Franc. Aged for 22 Months in 100% French Oak
(50% New).

14.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$75.