It's time for my #FridayCabernetfix.
Inky in color with a short reddish rim.
Fruity nose with black currants, black plums, blueberries, ripe cherries, light cedar, light earth, vanilla, black pepper, chocolates, coffee and pencil lead.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long skinny legs.
Dry on the palate with plums, black currants, coffee, oak, vanilla, vegetables, black pepper, spices, chocolates, dark coffee, herbs, tobacco leaf, leather and earth.
Medium on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a very nice Cabernet Sauvignon based blend from Napa Valley. Still young and will benefit from some bottle aging. Has good potential to become a really nice wine.
Good right out of the bottle, and better after 90 minutes of airtime. Really nice nose once it opens up.
Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years, however, already drinking nicely and showing nice complexity.
The Malbec seems very dominant at the moment. Spicy and tangy. Fruit forward and tasty.
Good by itself or with food. I paired it with cheeses and olives.
A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot and 8% Malbec. Aged in mostly French oak barrels for 18 months.
14.2% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$85. — 5 years ago
By the glass with lunch, no formal notes. First time ever trying Khikhvi and I can imagine this is how wine was made 1000 years ago. Obviously extended skin contact with a copper salmon color. Funky fresh nose and complex on the palate with all sorts of interesting fruit and non-fruit things going on. Acid and tannin providing good structure. Certainly a change of pace and quite enjoyable actually. — 6 years ago
Deep inky put purple color. Blackberry, smoke, eucalyptus nose, with a hint of pine/mint in the background. Initial attack is from the greenery, then quickly moves to the black fruit. Some acidity. Medium tannins, slight pruney finish. Excellent!
93 points — 7 years ago
Wow, this is an amazing and unique SB. Bold, dense, yet very drinkable. Honeydew, apricot, apple and melon. — 7 years ago
Nice with grilled honey Aleppo chicken (more so then the Tuscan herbed), and a Jose Llopis cigar. Very pleasing Rhone blend from Paso Robles. — 8 years ago
975 Katie and Tylee Zoodles — 8 years ago
Finally... these hills have gold!!!
@Trattoria Il Leccio Sant'Angelo in Colle.
Small place, Big wine list.
Asked for recommendation.... blown away.
Age and alcohol showing in clear-gold-garnet rim. A beautiful cherry nose, with a hint of anise (but not licorice!). Stand by for more...
Rounded out beautifully, very soft silky tannins. Spectacular.
95+ points — 9 years ago
2009 vintage. — 11 years ago
Cape May Cucina Rose with everyone. Good merlot from Napa — 13 years ago
It’s time for some Merlot on this#MerlotThursday.
Ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.
On the nose, plums, black currants, strawberries, sweet cherries, light cedar, licorice, vanilla, earth, herbs, chocolates, tobacco, spices, dark coffee and black pepper.
Medium plus in body and soft, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with currants, black plums, cherries, oak, light vanilla, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, earth, light vegetables and herbs.
Medium finish with fine tannins, tangy raspberries and peppercorn.
This young Bordeaux from Saint Émilion is already showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.
Tasty and interesting. Tangy and rich. Needs a couple of hours to open up properly.
Still young, but starting to drink nicely now. I am surprised of how approachable it is already. Still a little unbalanced, and needs another few years in the bottle to mature properly. Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years.
This 2018 vintage is showing a lot of potential. A little lighter than the 2016 I had a couple of weeks ago.
A good quality wine that will age nicely in the next 15 to 20 years.
I paired it with Brie cheese and crackers.
A blend of 68% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
90 points.
$55. — 5 years ago
Very elegant, silk, medium body, French oak, sexy and mature — 6 years ago
excellent for the price! $30 at restaurant affiliated with brewery in Seattle (nine hats pizzeria). Cranberry/blackberry, dark chocolate, cedar. Easy drinker — 6 years ago
Donna likes — 7 years ago
It's time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a great Cabernet from Washington State.
Dark ruby in color with a purplish rim.
Fruity nose with blackberries, blueberries, sweet cherries, figs, light oak, vanilla, spices, licorice, pencil lead, black pepper, dark chocolates, dark coffee, earth and leather.
Medium to full-bodied and smooth, with medium acidity and long long legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with blueberries, cherries, plums, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, herbs, tobacco, peppercorn, espresso, dark chocolates and pencil lead.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a great Cabernet from Columbia Valley. Nicely balanced with great complexity and mouthfeel. Smooth, elegant and very tasty. This 4 year old is peaking now.
This is not an expensive wine, but with proper short term aging, it drinks wonderfully. Worth giving it a try.
Good right out of the bottle and so much better after 2 hours in a decanter.
I paired it with cheeses, nuts, dried fruits and light appetizers.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
91 points.
$15. — 8 years ago



Enjoyed at Cecconi’s in Dumbo. — 9 years ago
2015 vintage — 10 years ago
Loved it. Lush, bold flavors soft finish. — 5 years ago
Celebrating 20K on Instagram with this beautiful wine!
Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim. Doesn't show age at all.
Fruity nose of blackberries, sweet cherries, black currants, figs, raisins, vanilla, cedar, licorice, cloves, cola, chocolates, mocha, caramel and black pepper.
Full bodied, smooth and bold, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and extremely fruity on the palate with blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, cedar, leather, earth, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, mocha, coke, light earth, peppercorn, leather and tobacco.
Long finish with firm tannins and tangy raspberries.
This is a great Napa Bordeaux blend. Showing great complexity and mouthfeel. Nicely balanced and fruit forward.
A fantastic wine from a great vintage. I've had a few different vintages of this, from older to younger, and this 2012 vintage is so nice right now. Will be even better in the next 10 to 15 years.
Thank you John for sharing this with me.
Rich yet elegant. Opulent and luxurious. Delectable and delicious.
Robert Parker 96 points.
Good right out of the bottle and much better after 3 hours of airtime. Fun wine for parties if it's in the budget. 😉
A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc. Aged in New French oak barrels for 24 months.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
97 points.
$250. — 6 years ago
Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim.
Fruity nose of blackberries, sweet cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, earth and pencil lead.
Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black cherries, raisins, vanilla, oak, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco, mocha, coke, earth, light vegetables, pencil lead and peppercorn.
Nice length on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
This Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon is always enjoyable. Drinking nicely now as a 3 years old.
Fruit forward with nice balance. Showing mild complexity with a nice mouthfeel.
Wine Enthusiasts 90 points.
Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up and shows the tannins (45 minutes).
Nice enough to drink by itself, but pairs nicely with food too.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
89 points.
$17. — 7 years ago
Single vineyard pinot noir from Coastal California. Very deep purple for the grape. Viscous. Medium plus bodied. Perfume, floral nose notes but to me they are a bit overrun by oak. Belle Glos website says that this wine boasts bright acidity, but I would disagree. In the palate there is a ton of red fruit, almost candy, and very little acidity. Some residual sugar, and low to medium tannins. This is a good wine, but an odd Pinot. To me, it's almost like someone delivered Pinot Noir grapes to Ravenswood for processing as a Zinfandel.
PS it's giving me a headache.
DAY2 UPDATE: So I don't throw out wine, I'm giving it another whirl tonight. Done with dinner. If I wasn't on the Keto diet I'd slam this with a big 2 slices of cheesecake and I bet it would be perfect. The point is-- besides the fact that I miss cheesecake--this is a way over the top Pinot Noir, residual sugar and it's still at 14.6% abv!!! I'm adding the plus because I believe this was made with purpose, just not what I'm looking for.
89+ points — 7 years ago
MGM minnetonka. Mild. Easy drinker. Little spice at the end. Would buy again. — 8 years ago
Purple in color with a wide purplish rim.
Fruity nose of blackberries, blueberries, sweet strawberries, plums, wood, licorice, spices, dark chocolates, earth, pencil lead, peppercorn and tobacco.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity. Smooth with long legs.
Dry on the palate, and fruity with blueberries, cherries, plums, oak, vanilla, spices, licorice, earth, meats, green vegetables, herbs, chocolates and peppercorn.
Nice length on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.
What a great Zinfandel from Sonoma County, California. Getting into the drinking range now. Well balanced with nice complexity and interesting acidity.
Good as a sipping wine, all by itself or with food. Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up (1 hour).
This is not the jammy Californian Zinfandel one might be used to. Spicy and interesting. I really enjoyed it this time.
This 4 year old is drinking very nicely now. I had this vintage a couple of years ago, and it was not very enjoyable. What a difference a couple of years in the bottle has done...
Could use a few more years to become even better.
Wine Spectator 92 points.
14.8% alcohol by volume. — 9 years ago
Very nice table and casual wine — 12 years ago
Yummy pick by Jerry! — 13 years ago
Billy L.
JEB 💯 Points / Very good not 100 tonight. — 5 years ago