Labor Day treat–a dark fruity Washington Cabernet Sauvignon (and was that a hint of chocolate that I tasted?) for the cocktail hour, my favorite company, and a hotly contested round of jarts. Hope you’re all having a great holiday weekend and cheers!
2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Winery, Woodinville, Washington, USA.
Lot on my mind these days, and seemingly less time for Notes. That, combined with delicious summer beers to beat back the nearly oppressive heat, and I find myself playing catchup tonight. Our focus is the 2013 Toasted Head Cabernet Sauvignon, first Cab that I’ve had from this winery; I’m fairly sure I’d just tasted their whites previously.
2013 Toasted Head Cabernet Sauvignon, Yolo County, California, USA.
The Toasted Head had interesting taste pockets. It was a Cabernet equivalent of the summer pond–you know the one I mean? It’s cool, its refreshing, and then you hit this warm spot and the water changes all around you.
This 2013 is similar in that you are sipping some fine red wine, and then you hit this berry patch and your taste buds go crazy for all the cherry and dark berry flavors. We started on the Toasted Head yesterday and tonight are finishing it off with some great leftover steaks (not too proud to say Frank’s Red Hot was liberally applied to it) and white rice seasoned with fresh scallions. Good stuff, just like the vino.
Yolo County, from where this wine hails, is between Napa to the west and Sacramento to the east. This AVA is on the eastern side of the Coast Range Mountains–sounds like the usual “cool nights warm days” magic that does so right by California wines. Scanning the winemaker’s comments, and I see we agree on a couple relevant points that I share here for you:
“This wine opens with ripe plum and dark berry fruits on the nose, accompanied by a graham cracker toastiness from oak aging. On the palate this Cabernet focuses on ripe blackberry and dark cherry surrounded by bourbon vanilla and caramelized sugar notes.”
I’m nodding in agreement. Good berry, full mouth flavor in the 2013 Toasted Head. I’m up for another one…
Big bunches of berry smells jump right out from the 2012 vintage of the Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon–not bad for some on-the-go wine. Picked this bottle in part because of some decent history with Layer Cake (which I somehow cannot find right now, despite distinct memories of drinking it in our rental house) and in part because its screw top is conducive to easy access sans corkscrew. So what of the taste, say you?
2012 Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon, California, USA.
It’s juicy, it’s luscious, and there’s plenty of value here. Some of the depth (the chocolate?) that I recall from Carnivores past and other Cabs is in play here, as are some char-like flavors. No meal with this beverage; just some unwinding for a soul sorely in need of some. I’m glad I picked the 2012 Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon instead of their Malbec, which was close by but less of a draw on this occasion.
Is it odd to say I liked the label? Its cake is not overdone but nevertheless memorable. I’m not talking about the font (which is sharp in and of itself) or the appearance of the label as much as I am its texture. The 2012 has a feel to it that’s almost embossed; some cool ink work that I admire from a production standpoint.
The 2012 Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon hails from a California vineyard that has a clever back story. The grapes come from the Alexander Valley, and there is good reading all over the web on the particular minerals and terroir of this AVA. You should take a moment and Google the region–maybe even while enjoying a glass of this fruity red.
Nice and smooth, this 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma County’s Rodney Strong vineyard. It packs in fragrant, juicy smells of blueberry and blackberry, and perhaps even a bit of chocolate too. Rich, ruby, and red it tumbles into your glass, filled with promises that are effectively delivered as you make your way into the bottle.
2012 Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvigon, Sonoma County, California, USA.
This 2012 is very easy to drink; its even balance is an interesting contrast to the Bordeaux-style red that followed this Cab later in the holiday weekend. The Strong was served with hors d’oeuvres and one of my favorite pasta dishes–penne with salt and butter–and some garlic bread. It’s a mouthful unto itself, a juicy Cabernet that, at times, almost seems more like a Merlot than a California Cab. Really a nice, smooth beverage.
This one is a gift from my friend, and he went the extra mile to read through several Notes Of Note for my recent favorites and tendencies as he picked a drink to bring along for the evening. The 2012 Rodney Strong is a good one at that. Good research and an even better beverage! Thanks pal, and looking forward to your next visit.
House guests always mean good things for a wine blog, as there’s nothing like splitting a fun bottle with friends and family. So here we are, warm May evening, sharing the 2012 Sterling Vintner’s Collection and some great conversation—my wife, my oldest friend in the world (we’ve been childhood friends, high school classmates and teammates, and college roommates) for more than three decades, and me.
2012 Sterling Vintner’s Collection Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast, California, USA.
I’ve never had the Sterling before, but when we finished a couple Sam Adams (and yes a Miller Lite too, those of you who know) and were turning our thoughts to dinner, it seemed like a great pick to go alongside some killer pork chops. The meat had been marinating in the fridge all afternoon in a spicy mustard sauce that worked its way into the pork while it sizzled up on the grill. A salad of mixed greens, fresh mushrooms, and crushed pepper, seasoned with a light vinaigrette, provided an enjoyable cool to the hot main course. On another such occasion I might have gone with a Zinfandel for this meal but was pleased overall by the Cabernet.
It has deep flavors, blackberry and cherry in particular, that gives sustenance and substance to this wine. Really liked those flavors, and am pleased to share with you too that the Sterling works in some quiet vanilla and some enjoyable spice scents. Great value. This 2012 has a lot of the characteristics that you’ll see me remark about in other good Cabs, and I’d be more than willing to bring it back to our table again soon.
We’ll be looking forward to another visit soon, one where we can enjoy time laughing, drinking delicious adult beverages, and LIG moments together. Thanks to the Sterling for being a good part of this one.
I’ve dropped the ball almost entirely here for the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, produced by the team at 14 Hands Winery. I’m positive that I had this 2013 vintage on May 8 because I have the date/timestamp both in my iCloud photos and my Vivino app, but I am very lacking in other relevant details about this tasting experience.
2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, 14 Hands, Columbia Valley, Washington, USA.
I didn’t note the food accompanying the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, and I didn’t jot down anything significant regarding its smell, its taste, or its color. Based on the photo here it seems as though the 2013 has good depth and a rich, deep color but that’s less helpful if you’re looking to NotesOfNote as a resource for your upcoming wine selection. I can confirm that 14 Hands Winery is located in the Columbia Valley AVA, and its winemaker offers, “14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon is a bright, juicy red featuring aromas of blueberries and currants with subtle hints of dried herbs. Red berry flavors are complemented by a touch of spicy oak and accentuated by refined tannins.”
Those following Notes recognize that I usually affirm or redirect tasting notes from the winemaker, but here I can do neither and apologize to readers for the lacking post. On the plus side, it does mean that I have to have another go at the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon from 14 Hands in order to do this wine right. So at least there’s that?
2013 Carnivor, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, USA.
This is the rare entry, the double down of road vino, and one I completed earlier this week in the Windy City. I’m attending a yearly trade show in Chicago and trying to fight off the deep February cold with a couple of warm reds and good acquaintances.
2012 William Hill Estate Winery, Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast, California, USA.
The first is the 2012 William Hill Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s an average red from the heart of Napa Valley, one with a decent jam-like start and easy finish. Since it was served with dinner at the Oral Health America charity fundraiser, I’m uncertain how long the William Hill was allowed to breathe prior to service. It also followed a cocktail hour and thus my palate came to the Cab with Pinot Noir as a precursor…so I trust my questionable tastes less than normal. The dinner was about far more than the banquet food or the California reds, though, but a great cause.
2012 Novy Family Winery Zinfandel, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA.
The Novy was recommended to me by a waitress at Rebar, a cool little hotspot located in the Trump International Hotel and Tower. It was spicy, it was lively, and matched the fun vibe at the heart of the bar. Tasted in conjunction with some popcorn that was kicked up with chili powder or something cajun-style, the Novy was a punch in the nose. Purple fruit flavors, votive candle ambiance that included great views out the side of the building, and a calm after the storm of the trade show day. Russian River Valley one of my favorites within the Sonoma AVA and the bias really held up well in this 2012 vintage. Looking forward to trying this one again in the future.
2012 Carnivor Cabernet Sauvignon, California, USA. Sometimes when all you have is a hammer, you see nails all around you. Last night this hammer accompanied steaks, cajun-seasoned shrimp and mushrooms, white rice, and broccoli.
Excited for this big Spanish red blend from the moment I first ordered it, and it hit every quality mark I hold dear for red wine. Big, dark fruit evident right from the first pour? Check. Well-balanced finish? Yes. Good spice or earthy undertone? Yup. Great taste? Most importantly, yes.
2007 Artigazo, Edicion Limitada, Carinena, Spain.
I did conduct a brief advance screening of the 2007 Artigazo last evening just to see if it warranted consideration for a Friday night feature. As a result, I knew that by the time I revisited today after the long work week we were already in good hands. Tonight the Artigazo accompanied a pepperoni pizza with just a bit of red pepper flakes added to the slices as an accent. You can bet it would perfectly complement grilled steaks, or perhaps some excellent barbecued pork, and I’ll look forward to that in the future since we have a couple more of these still to go.
My wife and I both noted the fruit-forward notes of the Artigazo right in the glass; it hits your nose even before its juicy blueberry/plummy goodness reaches your lips. Really a mouth-watering taste, and one that seems to fold in some spices as just a subtle accent or two. The 2007 Limited Edition is a blend of Garnacha (40%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30%), and Syrah (30%), and I’m betting its the latter that throws the spice profile into the final product. Admittedly I’m a growing fan of the Syrah and that may bias me toward the 2007 Artigazo…but if you are too you really can’t go wrong with this excellent Spanish red.
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