It's Friday and I'm ready for my Cabernet fix. This week it's one from Washington State.
Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim.
Fruity nose with blackberries, blueberries, cherries, raisins, figs, vanilla, licorice, oak, spices, earth, leather, green tea and black pepper.
Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, sweet cherries, vanilla, spices, espresso, cola, vegetables, leather, earth, chocolates, peppercorn and pencil lead.
Medium plus on the finish with firm tannins and tangy cranberries.
This Washington Cabernet is drinking very nicely now. Well balanced with nice complexity and a great mouthfeel. Showing a nice structure with ample black fruits and a touch of earthiness.
Last time I had it, it needed an hour to open up properly. I used the #VSpin this time, for 10 minutes, and it did the trick, and brought in tannins and complexity.
Will be good in the next couple of years. Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a cheese plate, nuts and crackers.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
89 points.
$17. — 8 years ago
Time for my Friday's Cabernet fix, the weekend is starting off right...
What a beautiful color on this Cabernet blend.
Ruby/ brick in color with medium intensity and a brick/ purplish rim.
Wonderful nose of blackberries, blueberries, red currants, light vanilla, oak, licorice, eucalyptus, light bell pepper, light metals, minerals, spices and black pepper.
Full-bodied, not bold, but rather elegant and smooth with gorgeous legs and medium acidity.
Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, sweet cherries, vanilla, oak, licorice, black olives, spices, earth and peppercorn.
Long finish with fine-grained tannins, that engage the mouth with wonderful fullness, cherries and black pepper.
What a gorgeous wine this is. Aged wonderfully, smooth and elegant with great balance and an awesome mouthfeel. Just delicious.
Surprisingly, very drinkable right out of the bottle, but of course, after an hour in a decanter it was so much better.
A blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc and 10% Merlot. Aged for 6 months in French oak barrels.
15% alcohol by volume. — 8 years ago
I do love this wine. It is not my favorite Zin, but maybe my third favorite. I do recommend it if you want to spend 45 on a spicy Zinfandel! The beginning has a pepper and wild berry bouquet. It opens with spice, dark currant, and boysenberry. The finish is quick and the spice disappears into a smooth light finish almost like a pinot noir. It is modestly dry. — 9 years ago
Still really young but silky smooth tannins and soft palate after a quick decant. Delicious with steak frites. — 10 years ago
Great rosé. Zippy acid, pleasant chalkiness, underripe strawberry. This bottle went quick! — 11 years ago
2004 vintage. This is not a champagne I thought worthy of the hype when I last drank this about 9 months ago. Maybe I was too quick to write it off. It seems to have grown in weight, concentration and complexity in that short period of time. The apples have become more precise, there is some stone fruit coming to the fore and even hints of minerality. There's some richness on the back of the palate now that adds character to the impression of the wine. The finish is more exact and there's depth of fruit missing last time round. The length is long and fairly persistent. Although a way off outstanding, it's become very good and clearly might improve further. — 11 years ago
Quick taste, bright floral cherry. Elegant and feminine seductive Pure and not in your face, well done hold for 5-15 — 7 years ago
Hall cabernet sauvignon - Ellie’s 2014 - Ellie has done it!!!!! PURE BUTTER!!!!
Better spice and everything nice blackberry jam with the slam. This is a dark beautiful cab from Cali! This one needed one hour to decant. The bouquet is blackberry and cherry soda. The initial palate is full of dark fruits like currants, blackberries, figs, and grapes. The mid palate comes quick with silky buttery thickness. There is a taste of spice and black pepper. The finish is still buttery with a semi dry oaky ending. The next time someone orders butter, this will be my pick. The only drawback is a slight tart ending on the roof of my mouth and the edges of my tongue. — 7 years ago

Since this is the last Friday of the year, my Cabernet fix is going to be a little different this time.
Dark ruby in color with a short brick /orange rim.
Earthy nose of blueberries, blackberries, black currants, earth, wood, light vanilla, tobacco, peppercorn, espresso, forest floor, leather, pencil lead, light barnyard, licorice, light vanilla, bell pepper and vegetables.
Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity and nice legs.
Dry and earthy on the palate with blueberries, cherries, oak, licorice, cloves, earth, wet leaves, vegetables, herbs, beef jerky, spices, dark coffee, pencil lead, green pepper, black tea and peppercorn.
Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.
What a wonderful Cabernet based red from Saint Estephe. Nicely balanced and very complex with a great mouthfeel. Earthy and still young, but drinking very nicely now.
Not a great vintage, but so enjoyable by itself or with food. The nose is so complex, that it's so nice just to sniff on.
Needs 3 hours to open up properly and show some tannins.
I paired it with cheeses and light appetizers.
13% alcohol by volume. — 8 years ago
Worked well with most food. — 8 years ago
Yes it's Friday, and it's time for my Cabernet fix.
Beautiful color of dark purple with a purplish rim.
Nice nose of wild flowers, blueberries, currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, earth, spices, smoke, chocolates, mocha, alcohol, dark coffee, peppercorn and spices.
Medium plus in body and rich, with medium plus acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with blackberries, plums, currants, oak, vanilla, licorice, earth, spices, green vegetables, bell pepper, leather, smoke, chocolates, mocha, wood, beef jerky and peppercorn.
Long finish with angular tannins and black pepper.
This Napa Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville is fantastic. Spicy and complex, however, it is not balanced yet. Too young and harsh right now, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. A very typical Napa nose and palate with a great finish.
I have another bottle that I will keep for at least 5 more years. Needs to be opened for an hour or so to show complexity and tannins.
I found it to be better than the 2012 vintage.
Aged for 22 months in French oak barrels (60% new).
14.9% alcohol by volume. — 8 years ago

Oh, yeah. My Friday's Cabernet fix.
Inky in color with a dark purple rim.
Sweet nose of blueberries, blackberries, sweet cherries, strawberries pie, vanilla, oak, blackberries, ripe plums, licorice, acetone, light cloves and peppercorn.
Full bodied, big and bold, with medium acidity and long legs.
Extremely fruity and Dry on the palate, with dried figs, blackberries, sweet plums, earth, leather, cherries, oak, vanilla, cola, licorice, cedar and peppercorn.
Long finish with firm tannins, spices and black pepper.
This Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma County is really enjoyable by itself to sip on. Complex and well balanced.
A Great wine to pair with a nice piece of filet mignon, which is exactly what I did.
It still needs a few years to chill in the bottle, but I loved it as it is.
14.3% alcohol by volume. — 9 years ago
Out of the bottle into the glass. A suspiciously translucent and raisiny brown. This wine suffers from progeria... not a bad thing if your a 2011 Barolo sitting open on my counter but extremely unfortunate if your lying around in some cellar doing nothing. The clock is ticking on this one. A quick swirl and a whiff meh... Smells like Nebbiolo. Cheap Nebbiolo. First taste mere seconds in the glass.... Flat and watery... Watery, the key sign of an oxygen starved bottle... Some wines need to breathe... Some don't. This one does. Just a little... A baby's breath... Well actually, I dipped an aero latte in it and gave it a whirl until it developed a rich creamy head and Wow! This little wrinkly, raisinated tot matured into Barolo! With roses and tar and terra cotta earthiness and a palate to match. What a surprise! — 10 years ago
Pours bright red aromas of tobacco and dust with a blast of blackberry. Flavors of cigar box earth and raspberry. Low acid with a somewhat quick finish. Be careful what you pair with this. We have a mild flavored pasta dish and the food is overpowering the wine. — 11 years ago
Classically styled. Tho young, eminently drinkable after a quick decant. — 11 years ago
2007 blind tasting. Group and my 6th. Closed on the nose, cherries and currants and bright mid palate, but then quick finish. It was nice, but just missing something special. — 7 years ago
@ADAM STROMFELD i don’t like i ❤️it
What does a NC man do for entertainment- he drives to south jersey to visit a friend - that friend introduces him to a bourbon - solera aged style - so damn smooth - what heat disappears so quick it was shocking leaving an amazing finish - I truly appreciate this recommendation and I am believer Adam - total smiles — 7 years ago

I was not blessed with the greatest birth vintage for Bordeaux (1991), but luckily my dear friend fared better (1989). Red currant, raspberry coulis, cedar, and graphite - the wine is still so fleshy, round and clean, nowhere near as tertiary as I'd expected going into the evening. It's structured, but also rather open knit after a quick decant. I hope to taste this Latour again in the coming years - as I believe it has many stories yet to tell. A special wine shared with even better company - there are worse ways to spend a Tuesday night. — 8 years ago
It’s bold like Napa cab (it’s Alex valley in fact) but the finish is relatively quick to a comparable Napa or Bordeaux. Not overly complex given it’s vintage but certainly enjoyable. — 8 years ago
It's Friday, and it is time for my Friday's Cabernet fix. This week it's a fabulous Israeli Cab.
Dark ruby in color with a brick rim.
Great fruity nose with black currants, blackberries, figs, smoke, licorice, oak, vanilla, sweet cherries, earth, wild flowers, graphite and black pepper.
Full bodied and smooth, with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry and spicy on the palate with blackberries, black currants, sweet raspberries, cherries, dried figs, tobacco, spices, wood, licorice, peppercorn, earth, dark chocolates and espresso.
Long finish with round tannins, tangy cranberries and spices.
This is a great Cabernet from Israel. Well balanced with great complexity. Smooth and elegant already, and will get better with more time in the bottle. Showing a great mouthfeel, a spicy finish, and it still has enough acidity to make it interesting.
Needs 90 minutes to open up properly and show some tannins and complexity.
14.5% alcohol by volume. — 8 years ago
Love this wine - great price for quality/everyday drinker. Well balanced strawberry/cherry and vanilla aromas, with a crisp quick slate finish at first that progressively softens. 92 — 9 years ago
Complex with three distinct flavor stages. Solid fruit out front with a quick round balance then a smooth lingering finish. Sat by fireside mid August. Lovely — 9 years ago
1995 - Very nice wine from @Cathy Corison Starts floral with a quick transition to tar, leather and plum finishing with red fruit. Even better to find in a restaurant off a dirt road in Costa Rica and to have with my daughter - birth year wine. — 11 years ago
Soft tannins. Berry notes, quick finish. Very smooth but not too soft. Right on the money. — 11 years ago
Aromatic, green and yellow fruit, creamy and elegant nose, mineral and lemon curd nose. Palate is light, feathery, and balanced with great acid. Like great qba. Unfortunately, only 40 cases made. Get it quick — 11 years ago
Kai Wang
The recommended glass from Vincent paired well with our lunch price fix menu. More full bod with little acidity. — 7 years ago