The dark ruby kosher wine from Galilee has a nose which is rustic and earthy. Plum and other dark red fruit aromas abound, while spices show themselves well. The palate shows plenty of minerals and earth notes without crossing over into chalkiness. The finish is medium long.
Today, Vigorello is crafted from 35% Pugnitello grapes, 30% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. Pugnitello is a grape native to Tuscany. Once thought to be Montepulciano, but DNA research showed that it is its own grape. Pugnitello languished almost forgotten for years before being resurrected by studies at the University of Florence.
The grapes sprouted early in the 2018 vintage for San Felice. A warm March and April were followed by a rainy May and the usual mix of heat and showers for the summer. September brought about sunny days and cool nights, which helped the grapes along to their proper maturity.
The fruit was vinified and aged for 24 months in French oak barriques, then aged another eight months in the bottle. Alcohol tips 14% abv while the wine retails for around $60.
Vigorello is a dark wine, allowing almost no light to pass through it. The nose holds a savory shield over the fruit aromas of plum, blackberry and raspberry. The palate is a complete joy - full of dark fruit which is colored by a rustic earthiness. The wine isn’t afraid to flex its muscles. The tannins are firm, but fine. That, plus the refreshing acidity, makes for a wine which is literally made for the dinner table.
Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter
The grapes that make up the 2020 Château Rousset Caillau Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge are 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. They were vinified in stainless steel and aged 60% in oak and 40% in those steel tanks. Alcohol tips in at 14% abv and the wine sells for about $15. I got mine on sale for a couple of bucks less.
This Bordeaux bargain pours up as a medium-dark, rich purple. The nose is rather muted, although bright cherry and cassis notes do pop through. There is also some caramel and a faint hint of funk - nothing unpleasant, just a bit off-center. The tannic grip is really firm and the fruit is tempered with a savory streak - and that ever-so-slight bit of funk. Altogether, probably not a wine I would seek out again, but it didn't sip too badly and worked great in a Sunday soup I made.
Meridian Cabernet Sauvignon can be had at grocery stores, and for very little money - especially considering that it's California's premier grape, one that usually commands a premier price. On the label, where I expect to find the appellation listed, the words "rich and velvety" appear - so, no Napa, no Paso, no Sonoma. The winery lists its location as Livermore, one of the more unheralded of California's wine regions. There also is no vintage listed.
This Cabernet Sauvignon does not adhere to the practice of billboarding your high-class wine region front and center. In fact, the tech sheet for this wine gets no more specific about where the grapes were grown than "select vineyards in sun drenched California," which is at least a bit more helpful than "rich and velvety," although not much. The winery does have a good reputation, however, for presenting good quality wines at low prices - surprisingly low.
This Cab is unusual - by California standards, anyway - because part of it was vinified in stainless steel tanks instead of oak vats. The majority was fermented in oak and aged there for a mere six months instead of the customary year or two or three for Cabernets in the Golden State. Both factors allow the fruit to speak without the hand of oak covering its mouth. Two more things set the Meridian Cab apart from its top-shelf brethren - alcohol registers only 13% abv and the retail price sits at right around five bucks a bottle.
This wine shows a medium-dark ruby red color and a nose that is as pretty as they come. Cassis, strawberry, black cherry and clove make up the majority of the fragrances. Notable for their absence are darker, moodier notes like leather, forest floor or tobacco - this is a "happy Cab." The fruit comes first on the palate, too, with bright cherry and currant in the lead. The freshness of this Cab is amazing, and it delivers on the label's promise of "rich and velvety."
Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter
Pineau des Charentes is a style of dessert wine made in special areas of Bordeaux. It is widely known as an aperitif, but the folks at Beaulon say that's too restrictive for the many uses of their Pineau.
The Beaulon Pineau des Charentes Rouge, made available to me, is made from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes. It was aged for five years in oak barrels. Alcohol is fortified to 19% abv and the retail price is $25, cheap for a wine of this style and quality.
They make a white version, too, from Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The Château is also known for its cognac, made from estate-grown Folle Blanche, Colombard and Montils grapes.
This dessert wine is a deep reddish brown in color, almost a chestnut hue. The nose is aromatic and quite beautiful - brown sugar, raisins, espresso and a hint of orange peel aromas rise up from the glass. On the palate the wine is very viscous and shows distinct legs. Flavors of coffee, caramel and citrus dominate the sip. The acidity is fresh and bright, and the overall savory feel helps make this a wine that can be paired with more than just sweets.
Winemaker Kevin Willenborg takes the grapes from their six SIP-certified sustainable estate vineyards and creates wines that promise to honor the past while looking into the future. He has a minimal intervention policy of staying out of the way and letting the grapes do their thing.
Besides sustainability, Vina Robles partners with One Tree Planted, an organization which tries to improve the world one tree at a time. A portion of the Vina Robles wine, The Arborist, goes to that charitable outfit. The wine was named The Arborist after an actual arborist saved the life of a 300-year-old oak tree that sits in one of their vineyards.
The Vina Robles Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 features Cabernet Sauvignon grapes taken from two of their estate vineyards. As they explain it on their website, Huerhuero Vineyard is in the hilly terrain between the El Pomar and Geneseo Districts. It gets the cool Pacific breezes that blow through the Templeton Gap in the afternoon. Creston Valley Vineyard has high terrain, a southern exposure and shallow, limestone-laced soils. The wine was aged for 20 months in oak barrels, with a bit of Petit Verdot added at the eight-month mark. The Cab has alcohol at 14.5% abv and retails for $32.
The wine is dark in color and features a complex nose of currant, plum, black cherry and oak spice - all layered with the chalky minerality that is a hallmark of Paso Robles Cabs. That limestone minerality comes through especially strong on the palate. The dark red fruit plays a big role, the sweet oak is just right and the tannins are medium-firm.
Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter
The Herzog website says the company goes back to "Philip Herzog, who made wine in Slovakia for the Austro-Hungarian court more than a century ago. Philip's wines were so appreciated by Emperor Franz-Josef, that the emperor made Philip a baron."
Philip's grandson Eugene had to move his family around quite a bit during World War II to hide from the Nazis, only to be run out of Czechoslovakia by the communists. He brought his family to New York in 1948 and started working for a kosher winery that paid him in company stock. Within ten years all the other stockholders had given up on it, leaving Eugene as the last man standing. He and his sons then formed Royal Wines as a tribute to Philip.
Expansion to Southern California happened in 1985, but it was a couple of decades before they would build their present state of the art facility. Head winemaker Joe Hurliman leads the kosher facility and produces wines in the tradition of the Jewish people.
The Herzog Variations Be-leaf Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 was made from Paso Robles organically grown grapes. It's a kosher wine, as are all the Herzog selections, and it has no added sulfites. Alcohol sits at 13.5% abv and the retail sticker reads $25.
The wine is a deep, dark red color with an herbal note on the nose to go along with the cheerful red fruit. I always like the chalkiness of Paso Cabs, but in this selection that effect is somewhat muted, shoved aside by that herbal note, which takes center stage on the palate. The effect of oak aging is plain, but not overdone. The freshness of the wine speaks to its youthful character and the tannins are firm. The chalky note makes itself more noticeable on the finish.
Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter
The outfit is headed up by winemaker Robert W. Young, MD, MPH. That last set of letters means he has a masters in public health. The good doctor, on a recent Zoom get-together, said that he is making an ice wine, probably the first and only ice wine produced in the state of Texas. He explained that a grower called him - quite some time after harvest - and told him that he had some Cabernet grapes still on the vines but it was freezing cold up in the High Plains. Dr. Young had the grower put the fruit on dry ice and send it to him. He pressed and vinified it just as they do up in Canada.
The 2019 Anniversary Blend is a Texas High Plains wine which celebrates the 10th vintage for Bending Branch. The grapes are one-quarter each of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot. Aging took place over 19 months in a 50/50 mix of French oak and neutral barrels. Alcohol clicks only 13.9% abv and the wine retails for $75.
This inky wine has aromas of black fruit - berries and plums - laced with notes of oak. The clove, cedar, leather and earth that come through on the nose are almost overwhelming, but not quite. The palate shows off that dark fruit with a rich backing of mocha, coffee and black pepper. The tannins are quite firm and ready to tackle anything that's coming off the grill. The finish lasts a long time and leaves a fruity memory behind.
The 2019 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is composed of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, 6% Syrah, 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot and 2% Petite Sirah, all grown in the warm Alexander Valley AVA. The wine aged for 16 months in 15% new French and Hungarian oak barrels, with the remaining wine aging in neutral oak barrels. Alcohol is lofty, at 14.9% abv, and the retail price is $45.
This wine is inky looking and carries a wonderfully demonstrative package of aromas. The nose has classic notes of graphite, but also features black tea, sage, oregano and a healthy lump of earth - that good, Sonoma dirt. On the palate are bright cherries, tea, herbs and minerals. The tannins are firm without being overbearing and the acidity is quite refreshing. You could chill this wine and open it next to the grill this summer - or you could have in cooler weather with a beef stew.
Paso Robles winemaker Daniel Daou has his latest Cab out, the 2019 Soul of a Lion, the crown jewel of DAOU Family Estates, named in honor of his father.
Soul of a Lion puts Paso Robles on the map for world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. It showcases Daou's vision to produce Bordeaux-style wines that combine elegance, freshness, and power. The 2018 vintage has all the hallmarks of its cooler growing season, revealing both the power and finesse.
The winery credits DAOU Mountain's "remarkable geology, microclimate, a 2,200-foot elevation and steep slopes" for creating what they call "a jewel of ecological elements." Alcohol tips in at 14.8% abv.
The wine is very dark, so inky that light does not pass through it. The nose is fresh, riddled with black and blue berries, clove, cinnamon and cedar. On the palate, the rich fruit is out front with a savory backbeat trailing behind. The tannins are firm, while the finish is long and extremely tasty.
Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter
Ruffino was founded in 1877, when cousins Ilario and Leopoldo Ruffino set up a small winery in the town of Pontassieve, near Florence. Wine had been a thing there for ages, but the two Tuscan natives felt certain that much of the area's greatness had yet to be revealed, what with Tuscany's mineral-laden soils, the cooling influence of the Mediterranean Sea and the dry summers that wine grapes just love.
Ruffino lays claim to being one of the first major wineries with vineyard estates in Italy's three most famous wine-producing regions – Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
The 2019 Chianti Superiore is made from 70% Sangiovese grapes and a 30% blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Those grapes really get a chance to shine, since aging took place in concrete and stainless steel tanks for six months, then another two months in the bottle. Superiore serves as a sort of midpoint between the Chianti DOCG and Chianti Classico. Alcohol ticks 13.5% abv and it generally sells for around $12.
This wine sports a nose that is laced with red and black fruit and earthy minerals. The palate features plum, blackberry and cherry, with fine tannins and a wonderful acidity. It tastes so fresh. The finish is medium long and fruity. Pair it with sausages or steaks, or a nice marinara sauce.
Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter
Chief Winemaker Lior Lacser was in charge of the 2018 Appellation Cabernet Sauvignon - Shiraz, a 60/40 split of Cab and Shiraz grapes, respectively, from Upper Galilee. It was aged 12 months in oak barrels, hits 14% abv in alcohol and retails for around $25.
Carmel Winery's 2018 Appellation Cab-Shiraz is a dark wine with a fragrant nose. Blackberries, blackcurrants and plums stand right out front, with a nice layer of oak spice draped over them. Notes of clove, cinnamon, coffee, chocolate and vanilla all appear in the aroma profile. On the palate, it's a show of dark fruit and sweet oak. The tannins are firm and ready to help with a brisket or roast chicken.
The Herzog website says the company goes back to "Philip Herzog, who made wine in Slovakia for the Austro-Hungarian court more than a century ago. Philip's wines were so appreciated by Emperor Franz-Josef, that the emperor made Philip a baron."
Philip's grandson Eugene had to move his family around quite a bit during World War II to hide from the Nazis, only to be run out of Czechoslovakia by the communists. He brought his family to New York in 1948 and started working for a kosher winery that paid him in company stock. Within ten years all the other stockholders had given up on it, leaving Eugene as the last man standing. He and his sons then formed Royal Wines as a tribute to Philip.
Expansion to Southern California happened in 1985, but it was a couple of decades before they would build their present state of the art facility. Head winemaker Joe Hurliman leads the kosher facility and produces wines in the tradition of the Jewish people.
The 2021 Baron Herzog California Rosé is made from, I believe, Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The information I could find online was sketchy at best, shelf talker at worst. Some sites list "rosé" as the varietal. Rosé is a style, not a grape. Alcohol is restrained, at only 12.0% abv and the wine sells for about $15. It is kosher for Passover, which begins on April 15, 2022.
This salmon-pink wine has a subdued nose which offers scents of cherry, raspberry and a hint of minerals. The palate is tasty and dry, with flavors of red fruit and a cranberry note that does not lean into tartness. Acidity is a little light, but there is enough there to handle easy pairings.
Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
California is on the label and the winery says they source grapes from "all around the state" for this wine. It was aged in 20% new oak barrels, but little other info is available on the tech sheet. Alcohol sits at 13.5% abv and it sells for $17.
This wine is medium-dark in its purple color. The nose is a jammy black-and-blue berry festival with notes of the oak aging it underwent - vanilla, cinnamon and cedar. The palate is juicy and full of cherries and berries. It is sipping very nicely, but the tannins are firm enough to welcome a steak or pork chop.
Paso Robles is one of my favorite regions for Cab, not only because I love the flavors that grow from that limestone soil, but also because the price is usually far less than in certain other Cab regions of the Golden State. This wine spent up to two days in cold soak, then was fermented for a couple of weeks. It was aged in French oak, a fifth of which was new. Alcohol tips in at 14% abv and the retail price is $22.
This reserve Cab has a savory nose featuring coffee, mocha, anise, mint and just a hint of that Paso Robles chalkiness. The minerality comes on strong on the palate, where a boatload of black fruit also appears. The tannins are firm but not overbearing and there is a fresh acidity to the wine. I love to pair a dark, savory wine like this one with a juicy piece of beef or a pork shoulder.
These grapes came from the North Coast appellation, a huge area which includes six counties north of San Francisco, including Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake. Aging employed 25% new oak. Alcohol hits only 14% abv and the bottle retails for $22.
This dark wine’s nose is bursting with blue fruit, violets, vanilla and clove. The palate is rich and layered with black currant and cherry, anise, pepper and oak spice. The tannins are smooth and the acidity is lip-smacking. The sip finishes long and fruity with a savory edge. It will pair nicely with steak, sausage and tomato sauce dishes.
This wine gets the California appellation, probably due to the fact that grapes from several regions were used. The winery explains that the wine is aged for three months in "recently emptied bourbon barrels." Alcohol gets up to 14.5% abv and the retail price is $22.
The nose shows plenty of dark fruit - blackberries, cassis, blueberries - but while I was expecting a healthy dose of bourbon-soaked wood, it doesn’t seem to be there. I get just a faint sense of bourbon, nothing more. That’s actually fine with me, because I don’t want my wine to smell like bourbon. A little stronger note of cedar comes on the palate, along with the forceful fruit, but nothing that would turn me off of the wine. After sipping a bit, I notice a very slight flavor of bourbon, but it is way in the background. I feel the labeling is a bit misleading. If you’re advertising bourbon, there oughta be some - whether I like it or not. However, it is a fine wine nonetheless.
Los Carneros means the Rams, so you can see why there was urgency in getting it to me. Somebody must have known that the Los Angeles Rams would need a little help in Super Bowl LVI. The help came just in time, as the game went right down to the wire, with Los Carneros coming out on top.
The wine came from an outfit called The Vice, and they say it is a single-vineyard bottling made from Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, sustainably grown in the Carneros sub-appellation. Aging took place over 22 months in French and American oak barrels - one of each, it's a limited release. Alcohol tips the scale at 14.3% abv and the wine retails for $69. Oh, and it's a good luck charm for the Rams.
The dark wine has a beautiful nose full of dark fruit and oak spice, even a little nuttiness in there. The palate is deep and rich, and a little bit herbal. Plums, blackberries, blueberries Tannins are firm, but the wine sips great if you aren't cooking steak tonight. If you are, more the better.
Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter
The Federalist brand - a Terlato wine - is the "preferred wine sponsor of the San Francisco 49ers," according to my publicist friend. The PR department promises that The Federalist, a Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon, pairs well with "any tailgate specialty." We can only assume that the promise is good even if the tailgates aren't on norcal trucks.
The 2017 Federalist Cabernet Sauvignon was reportedly created to honor the man who many consider to be the first American, Ben Franklin. Franklin was a passionate man who helped draft the Declaration of Independence, campaigned for colonial unity during the American Revolution and they say he liked his wine. His likeness appears on the label. Their other wines feature George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, the Statue of Liberty and the bald eagle. The winery bills itself as "America's craft wine."
The Federalist is a bold blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, with splashes of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah and Sangiovese. Aging took place over 15 months, in 35% new French oak. Alcohol hits a moderate 13.5% abv and the retail price is a reasonable $18.
This wine is medium dark in color and has dark notes on the nose - plums, blueberries, cassis. The oak aspect of the aromas is not overpowering, but it is definitely there. The palate tastes somewhat sweet, with fruit and oak spice showing right up front. A savory angle comes in later - forest floor and minerals, mostly. The tannins are workable, but not overbearing. This wine won't make Napa vintners run scared, but it is a pleasant bottling and a pretty good everyday wine.
Sculpterra's property is adorned with beautiful iron work from master blacksmith Bob Bentley and sculptures in bronze and granite by John Jagger. It provides a real treat for the eyes, while the wines will gladden other senses.
The Sculpterra Maquette is made from four Bordeaux grape varieties - 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Cabernet Franc, 26% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot - all grown in the Frankel Family Estate Vineyard. The wine was fermented in new oak barrels and one-ton macro bins, then aged in oak for 18 months, 14% of which was new French. Alcohol tips in at 14.5% abv and it sells for just under $50.
This wine is medium dark, with a brilliant ruby edge while pouring. The nose brings red fruit - cherries, plums, raspberries - and a nice toasty vanilla note. The palate offers plenty of fruit and a nice dollop of tannins, just right for pairing with some good meat. I had it with my holiday filet of beef, and it was fine.
Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter
Saldo's bottle looks like it was decorated with a label maker. The minimalist bottle style has a certain appeal, but I really like reading wine labels so it doesn't work for me. The wine is a mix of Petite Sirah, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel, which the company says is "approachable and serious." The alcohol level is a ripe 15% abv and the wine sells for $32, as does the Zinfandel.
This wine is extremely dark with notes on the nose of black cherry, anise, smoke and spice. The palate is rich and dark, showing blackberry, licorice, allspice, cinnamon and black pepper. The finish is not too long, but it is full of sweet oak spice while it's there. The tannins are a bit toothy until it has been open for a while.
San Antonio Winery survived Prohibition and the Great Depression by making sacramental wines in the urban heart of Los Angeles. While all the other wineries folded, the Riboli’s winery flourished, thanks to the family's strong connection to the church. At more than 100 years old, it is the oldest and largest producing winery in Los Angeles.
The estate offers a variety of soils: calcareous limestone, sandstone, and loam. The winery is certified sustainable, powered entirely by solar energy and uses water conservation techniques. The grapes for the 2019 San Simeon Cabernet Sauvignon - 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot - came from several hillside vineyards, which were blended together to make this wine. Aging took place over 18 months in mostly French oak barrels. Alcohol tips 14.9% abv and the wine sells for about $20.
This wine is very dark in the glass. It features a beautiful nose of brambly cassis, mocha and chocolate notes. Minerals come into play as do sage and thyme. The palate is loaded with dark fruit, more minerals and sweet oak flavors. Tannins are alive and well, so a bit of time opening up in the glass is recommended.
The 2018 vintage of Primus The Blend was made from five different grape varieties, all grown in Apalta, in Chile's Colchagua Valley. The mix is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Carménère, 10% Syrah, 10 % Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. The vintage featured a rainy winter and a temperate summer, allowing for a good, long growing season. The wine was aged twelve months in French oak, two-thirds of it in barrels and one-third in big vats. Alcohol hits only 13.5% abv while the retail price is a mere $19.
The blend pours up to a medium-dark garnet color. Aromas of cassis, tobacco and spice are up front on the nose, with a hint of bell pepper in the background. The fruit is juicy on the palate, with jammy black and red berries and a stout set of tannins. This wine was made for steak, the bigger the better.
Follow Randy Fuller on Twitter
