Category Archives: Cabernet Sauvignon

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Notes’ Top 5 Wine Surprises of 2015

Again in 2015 we had the opportunity to taste and, through Notes Of Note, share feedback on some excellent wine. Several new vintages (e.g., the 2013 Buena Vistas) lived up to their previous accolades while others (the 2012 Boom Boom! Syrah, for example) were slightly behind previous years’ releases. Others were first-of-a kind adventures that will bear repeating over the coming annum. As last year, the below is not necessarily a “best of” list but some notable grapes you’d do well to sample as time permits:

Many others were better visited or better wines overall, but you’ll have to explore Notes further to decide for yourself. I appreciate your readership and raise a glass to everyone who joined in the sampling here at our home or yours this past year. Best to you all in 2016!

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2012 Simi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon

The Alexander Valley I’ve “visited” on several previous occasions. Among the 30 or so vineyards of this Sonoma County AVA are Clos du Bois, Francis Ford Coppola, Rodney Strong, and Simi Winery–who produced this bold 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon.

2012 Simi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley

2012 Simi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA.

Tonight this Cab accompanied black and blue bacon cheeseburgers, tossed beds of greens with mustard, and crispy crowns potatoes. The blackberry flavors, tinged with subtle inferences of spice, were a juicy accent to the burgers. The Simi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon smelled almost tart in the glass, but its actual finish was far gentler and more even than its nose suggested. My wife expressed this idea far more eloquently than I am here but, like this enjoyable bottle of red, her words were fleeting and I have lost them to time and space.

Here’s how the vineyard conveyed: “Balanced flavors of red and black fruits, smooth tannins, and soft spice give way to a velvety finish.” They used fruit from Los Amigos and Red Fan, and other Alexander Valley Vineyards (e.g., Encinos, Big River, Hoot Owl Creek, and Belle Terre) to develop the final flavors in this Cabernet, which is actually a red blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Malbec. (It’s the Malbec and Verdot that convey the spices, if you’re curious…)

Last couple things: the grapes fermented 32 days in stainless steel (on the skins) and ultimately aged 16 months in small oak barrels–releasing in June of 2014. It’s a good value for the price, and the 2012 Simi Cab should be readily available in your local wine store. I’d pick up another and recommend you do the same.

 

 

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2012 Silver Palm Cabernet Sauvignon

Silver Palm is a new Cabernet Sauvignon to this taster, and one I was glad to try this December weekend. It’s label is definitely an attention-grabber, its platinum inlay and metallic finish an inviting beacon on the shelf of our local wine store.

2012 Silver Palm, Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast, California, USA.

2012 Silver Palm, Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast, California, USA.

We know that 2012 was a favorable year for California Cab, and that’s evident here in this dark ruby red wine. It has a definite cherry taste to it, and it is substantive. There are spices on the nose, and I’m drinking it from a Reidel glass made specifically for Cab Sauv. I think that helps bring out some of the nuances here. The finish is soft and silky; the tannins even and firm.

Says the winemaker, “We select grapes from some of the finest coastal vineyards in Northern California and, with traditional and cutting-edge artisan winemaking techniques, craft a sumptuous, seamless Cabernet.”

Enjoyed very much, both last evening with pan-seared steaks and broccoli, and again tonight with Mexican chicken soup. The 2012 Silver Palm Cabernet Sauvignon will go great with your steaks, your ribs, and virtually any meal seasoned with pepper. Or with none–just grab a bottle and give it a try.

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2014 Orquestra Cabernet Sauvignon

In-flight beverage, this 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon from Vino de la Tierra de Castilla, Spain. After sitting on the tarmac for more than an hour, I was grateful for any beverage and this dark red rang that bell.

Since I’ll fly American on several more trips before year’s end I’ll be sure to include additional notes next time. For now, I’ll say simply that the dark fruits come together effectively and leave a pleasant mouthfeel. Nice long finish, too.

Last note on this tasting: these grapes are grown at an altitude of 700 meters in the Castile La Mancha region where rainfall is scarce.

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2012 Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon

Last weekend I went on a quest for 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Montes Alpha was a specific focus of that search. The latest edition of Wine Spectator piqued my interest in its coverage of Cab, and 2012s in particular. This Chilean red  (which includes 10% Merlot in its composition) lived up to all expectations, a luscious and fragrant beauty that was packed with scents of black fruit, herbs, and even a light metallic tang of some kind.

2012 Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauivignon, Colchagua, Chile.

2012 Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon, Colchagua Valley, Chile.

This AVA in Colchagua, Chile, has a terroir that produces Cabernets that a bit of research tells me are similar to those from Pauillac in Haut-Medoc. This bottle was just under $20, though, and I suspect the French version would be at least three times that figure. Even cooler, in my mind, is that the vineyard’s grapes (from Apalta and Marchigue) are all sustainably dry farmed–they consume far less water than the norm, and produce a noteworthy outcome in the 2012 vintage.

We ate Swiss cheese and mushroom burgers and some ‘crispy crowns’ potatoes alongside this red. Tasting highlights from the Wine Spectator summary read, “Blackberry, graphite, and violet on a structural core of bright acid and plentiful tannin with a long molasses-scented finish.” All that being true, the 2012 Montes Alpha is a very worthwhile drink.