Halter Ranch Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, California

It’s time to drink a Cabernet on this #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a nice one from Paso Robles.

Deep purple in color with a short reddish rim.

Fruity nose with blueberries, black plums, black currants, light cedar, licorice, vanilla, spices, tobacco, black pepper, dark chocolates and herbs.

Full bodied and elegant with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, plums, cooked cherries, oak, tobacco, licorice, light vanilla, herbs, coffee, light alcohol, peppercorn, light earth and chocolates.

Nice finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a very tasty Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles. Showing nice complexity and mouthfeel. I always enjoy these Bordeaux blends. A good sipping wine too.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 45 minutes of air time, when tannins show up and bring in more structure to the wine.

Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years and see how it evolved.

Good by itself or with food. Will pair wonderfully with BBQ Meats.

A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Malbec and 5% Petit Verdot. Aged for 16 months in (30% new) French Oak barrels.

14.6% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$55.

Yount Ridge Cellars Napa Valley Proprietary Blend 2007, California

Dark ruby in color with a wide purplish rim.

On the nose black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, vanilla, spices, espresso, cola, light herbs, earth and black pepper.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with black currants, figs, black plums, cherries, dried fruits, vanilla, cedar, spices, chocolates, coffee, light cola, pencil lead, earth and leather.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley. Nicely aged with a beautiful nose and palate.

Shows great complexity with a great mouthful.

This 14 year old is drinking so very nicely now, and will continue in the next five years. Has a lot of oomph in it still.

Good right out of the bottle, and even better as it opens up and shows more complexity and tannins.

I actually had a blind and called Cabernet based Bordeaux blend from Napa 2007. Doesn’t happen too often, but sometimes it does

A great wine to drink all by itself, and share with good friends and talk about.

Thank you Scott for sharing this with me.

This Cabernet from the great 2007  vintage is showing wonderfully now. At its peak. I had the 2010 not too long ago and loved it too.

A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petite Verdot and 5% Malbec.

93 points.

$130.

Serres Ranch Winery Bordeaux Style Blend 2017, Sonoma Valley, California

Dark ruby in color, almost Inky, with a short reddish rim.

Very unique nose of black currants, black plums, red cherries, cranberries, spices, light oak, licorice, vanilla, green pepper, cardamom, dark coffee and tobacco.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, black plums, blueberries, light wood, earth, spices, tobacco leaf, chocolates and peppercorn.

Nice tangy finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very interesting Malbec blend from Sonoma. Fruit forward and elegant. Showing nice complexity and mouthfeel. Tangy, and a good food wine. Alcohol is nicely integrated, so watch yourself.

The nose is very interesting, which was a nice surprise, once it opened up. Better after 90 minutes in the decanter.

This 4 year old will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years. Would be nice to revisit it then.

I paired it with a fatty Brie cheese and crackers.

A blend of 46% Malbec, 30% Petit Verdot and 24% Cabernet Sauvignon. Grapes were aged separately for 3 years in French oak barrels.

14.8% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$65.

Malbado Malbec 2019 Mendoza, Argentina

Deep purple in color with a purplish rim.

Strong nose of candied cherries, black plums, light oak, spices, earth, cocoa, herbs and tobacco leaf.

Full bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with black plums, black currants, coffee, oak, cloves, spices, earth, light vegetables, pencil lead, tobacco leaf and peppercorn.

Tangy finish with soft tannins.

This young Malbec from Mendoza is already very approachable. Easy drinking and good by itself. Fruit forward and tasty.

Good right out of the bottle, and gets earthier after an hour in the decanter. Tangy and interesting.

Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years.

A good everyday wine that will pair nicely with grilled meats. I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$20.

Aridus Wine Company Limited Production Malbec 2019, Arizona

Deep purple in color with a wide purplish rim.

Strong fruity nose with blueberries, wild flowers, spices, black plums, black cherries, light tobacco leaf, black pepper, milk chocolates and light earth.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and nice legs.

Dry on the palate with cherries, raspberries, cooked plums, light wood, spices, coffee, milk chocolates, light vegetables, herbs and peppercorn.

Medium finish with soft tannins and tangy cranberries.

This is a very interesting red wine from Arizona. Very tangy with lots of red berries on the palate. I really liked the nose here. Interesting and complex.

This Malbec does not taste like any Malbec I’ve had before. Feels like a California Merlot based Bordeaux blend.

Needs time to open up. I gave it 2 hours, but I’m not sure it was enough.

Feels a little young, and would be interesting to revisit it in 3 years.

I paired it with a few different Brie cheeses and crackers.

13.6% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$36.

Serres Ranch Winery Estate Grown Bordeaux Style Blend Watriss 2018, Sonoma Valley, California

It’s time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday.

A very pretty color of dark dark ruby, almost inky, with a wide reddish rim.

Strong nose of black cherries, black plums, crushed raspberries, wildflowers, cedar, spices, milk chocolates and peppercorn.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, raspberries, spices, oak, light vanilla, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, light earth, herbs, chili powder and black tea.

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

This is a very nice Bordeaux blend from Sonoma Valley. Nicely balanced with lots of fruits to match the acidity.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly, so be patient, that’s when tannins and more structure come in. worth the wait.

Already drinking very nicely, and will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.

Fruit forward with a nice mouthfeel. Tangy and interesting.

Good by itself and good with food. A good quality wine that will pair nicely with game meats. I paired it with cheeses and crackers.

A blend of 34% Merlot, 30% Malbec, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Petit verdot. Aged separately for two years in French oak barrels.

14.9% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$65.

Hertelendy Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, California

Hertelendy Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, California

It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a delicious one from Napa Valley.

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Fruity nose of blackberries, sweet plums, cooked cherries, earth, cedar, leather, coffee, cola, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, dried meat, herbs and black pepper.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with black currants, sweet cherries, oak, light vanilla, spices, dark chocolates, black tea, peppercorn, pencil lead, dark coffee and earth.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from a great vintage in Napa Valley. Spicy and interesting.

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Shows nice complexity at this point.

This 7 year old is drinking very nicely now and will continue to age in the next 5 to 10 years.

Good right out of the bottle and better with airtime. Needs 3 hours to open up properly, and show the complexity.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, but good with food as well. Will pair nicely with a big piece of steak. I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

A blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petit Verdot, 7% Merlot, 5% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc. Aged in French oak barrels for 23 months. A small production of only 30 barrels.

14.7% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$135.

Shiloh Winery Legend Honi 2017, Israel

Deep purple in color with a short purple rim. Very intense color.

Strong nose of black currants, sweet plums, cedar, cooked cherries, raisins, dried figs, vanilla, cloves, licorice, spices and peppercorn. Really enjoyed the nose.

Full-bodied and intense, with medium plus acidity and long fat legs.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with cooked cherries, black plums, dried fruits, oak, vanilla, licorice, alcohol, cloves, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, coffee and peppercorn.

Spicy finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a big and bold Cabernet Sauvignon based blend from Israel.

Rich and extracted. Spicy with a nice mouthfeel. Not for the faint of hearts, but I found it very tasty.

Still young and would be better in a few years.

Good right out of the bottle and better after 3 hours in the decanter. Much better with some air, so be patient.

Feels very much like a California Petite Sirah. Interesting stuff.

I had it all by itself by the pool.

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc and 17% Malbec. Grapes were handpicked. Aged in French oak barrels for 15 months. Unfiltered. Kosher and Mevushal.

15% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$40.

Flora Springs Family Estate Ghost Winery Napa Valley Malbec 2019, California

Dark purple in color with a short reddish rim.

On the nose blueberries, black plums, cherries, oak, licorice, spices, tobacco, light vanilla, light bitter herbs and peppercorn.

Medium plus in body and smooth, with medium acidity.

Dry and fruity on the palate with plums, black currants, coffee, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco, herbs, chocolates, light vegetables, peppercorn, spices and light earth.

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

This 2 year old Napa Malbec is a nice surprise. Although very young, it is very approachable. Tasty and tangy. Showing nice complexity with a soft and smooth mouthfeel.

Good by itself or with food. Easy
drinking, fruit forward and very pleasant. Rich, elegant and smooth.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime. Will be nice to revisit it in 3 years, and see how it evolved.

Paired nicely with my stinky French Brie cheese.

100% Malbec grapes were aged in American and French oak barrels (mostly French) for 18 months. A small production of only 250 cases.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$60.

Ghost Cellars Paso Robles Proprietary Red Wine 2018, California

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

On the nose blueberries, cherries, spices, light oak, licorice, earth, tobacco and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with plums, cherries, light vanilla, oak, spices, peppercorn, earth, pencil lead and coffee.

Medium finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cranberries.

This is a nice Cabernet Sauvignon based blend from Paso Robles. Easy drinking with a soft and spicy mouthfeel.

Good by itself and better with food.
Tangy and good right out of the bottle.

A good everyday wine that should get better in the next few years.

I paired it with prosciutto, olives and crackers. Will pair nicely with pizza.

A blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot and 2% Malbec. A small production of only 423 cases.

12.9% alcohol by volume.

88 points.