Tag Archives: Cabernet Sauvignon

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2022 “Gun Bun” Cabernet Sauvignon, Gundlach Bundschu Winery

My introduction to Gundlach Bundschu came via the Mountain Cuvée, featured at my favorite wine shop back in 2017. Since then, I’ve had several opportunities to enjoy this historic winery’s work—and now, it’s time to talk about the 2022 “Gun Bun.”

2022 “Gun Bun” Cabernet Sauvignon, Gundlach Bundschu Winery, Sonoma County, California, USA.

Like Buena Vista Winery, which shows up frequently in Notes, Gundlach Bundschu (est. 1858) takes real pride in its old-school roots. (No pun intended, I swear.) Still family-owned, the winery sits in the Mayacamas Mountain range of Sonoma Valley, on a 320-acre estate with seriously promising terroir. It’s bordered by the Carneros district to the south and impressive Napa neighbors to the east.

Lower on the estate, they grow Pinot. But once you get above 150 feet, you find hillside blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot planted in rocky, shallow soils made up of volcanic ash and alluvial wash. If you’ve read Notes before, you know diverse terroir like this is exactly my kind of thing.

As for winemaking: the fruit is hand-harvested, optically sorted, and aged for 18 months in French oak barrels (45% new). The winery produces both an estate Cabernet and this “Gun Bun” 2022 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon—a bold, approachable alternative. It comes in under $20, making it an excellent “weekday wine” for the dinner table.

In the glass, it pours a deep cherry red, and that dark cherry note really leads the way. I picked up some blackberry too—dark fruit flavors all around—with smooth, balanced tannins and an easy finish.

Anyone else tried the 2022 Gundlach Bundschu Estate Cab? I’m eyeing it for the near future. In the meantime, I’m more than happy with this “Gun Bun” as a solid, budget-friendly option.

As always, thanks for giving Notes a read—and cheers!

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2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, Trefethen

Sometimes it’s the wine that makes the occasion; other times, it’s the occasion that makes the wine unforgettable. And then there are those happy moments when the whole plan comes together—like this one. 

2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, Trefethen, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley, California, USA.

On this day, we decided to head over to the Angus Barn for steaks, salads, and a bit of quality time in that cozy Wild Turkey Lounge ambiance. Outside, one lucky couple was hosting wedding guests (clearly sparing no expense), and we had fun watching the attendees in their wedding finery (remember the guy in the tux, my love?). It added an unexpected bit of charm to our evening.

As hoped, Cara and I snagged two seats together at the bar and settled in. Our bartender was great and attentive, and even chuckled at the right moments when we shared the infamous story of the wine bottle our last Lounge bartender could not open—even after breaking multiple corkscrews. (And for those wondering, no, we’ve never been able to open it…)

We debated starting with something familiar—The Prisoner or perhaps an Orin Swift favorite—before ultimately choosing this 2021 Trefethen Cabernet Sauvignon. Our thinking? We’d had The Prisoner before, we had Phinney wines at home, and the Trefethen would be a new wine adventure for the two of us together. And it was great! 

We split a classic wedge salad, which included the usual favorites as well as almonds that I was surprised to really enjoy. My girl did a surf and turf trio, a special offering for the Barn’s 65th anniversary, which included a bacon-wrapped filet, a skewer of North Carolina shrimp, and a tail of Maine lobster—plus a baked potato! This guy? I went with a New York strip steak (perfect temperature!) and fries, and I nearly powered my way through 16 ounces of that bad boy before surrendering down the stretch. If you know me, you’ll understand how close this came to my ideal “last meal on Earth”!  

Hale and happy, we settled up our tab and left with big smiles and the promise of an evening together, after-dinner drinks, desserts, and a flick too. A perfect date night overall and one I’ll never forget—for the steaks, the wine, and most of all, the company.

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2023 Cabernet Sauvignon (District Series #3 Napa Valley), Precision Wine Co.

This review focuses on the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon, District Series #3 Napa Valley as produced by the team at Precision Wine Co. Given my love for Napa Cab, the bottle seem to call out and demand attention—which we gave it this evening.

2023 Cabernet Sauvignon (District Series #3 Napa Valley), Precision Wine Co., California, USA.

Why so interesting? Well, frequent readers of Notes know California’s first AVA is my favorite, and one I love to sample even more often than chronicled here. Wines that attempt to capture all the region’s best characteristics, such as the CA Locations Wines (most recently last weekend), are also favorites of this reviewer and this notebook. And now the Precision entry into the canon…

The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (District Series #3) offers you a rewarding tasting experience. It’s more dark cherry in color, a fragrant pour that suggests dark fruit at its core. The winemaker is definitely seeking the essence of Napa Cab in this offering, which is very well-balanced and flavorful. There are hints of spice box, strawberry…but even more so the dark plum and blackberry fruits. The rich blend of all these grapes and inferences is part of what I like best in a Napa wine—and this one is pretty damn good. It’s your favorites from the region in an affordable bottle. 

What of Precision? According to the website, they’re a Napa Valley producer specializing in sourcing premium fruit from appellations that include Napa, Sonoma, Lake County, Paso Robles, and Lodi—now rebranded as Navigator Wine Collection. Details on the Precision / Navigator corporate restructuring are covered here. The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (District Series #3) was my first sampling of their collection but I’m looking forward to more of the same.

Thanks, love, for this tasting experience that’s focused on all my favorites!  

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2022 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 50th Anniversary, Caymus Vineyards: A Review

Hello friends it’s been far too long, and far too many bottles escaping a recap. I’m fixing that right now, courtesy of the 2022 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a limited-edition headliner of a wine that commemorates the Wagner family and its Napa Valley roots. 

2022 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 50th Anniversary, Caymus Vineyards, Fairfield, California, USA.

The 2022 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon pours in a distinctive, deep ruby hue. Swirling it in the glass reveals not only its vibrant crimson color but also dark berry aromas of goodness…probably black cherry or plum? Other tasters cite its “baking spices” and “enticing whiffs of cocoa, tobacco, and leather,” but I’m pleasantly covered in the berry framework of this intriguing bottle and miss a few of those nuances. That may be attributed to our consumption of this Caymus bottle in its (relative) youth rather than allowing its profile to mature over the next 5 to 10 years? Anyway, the 2022 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 50th Anniversary is a full-bodied wine with layers of ripe black fruit and vanilla, and I find myself doing less sipping and more swirling of the wine. Like many Wagner wines, it’s velvety on the tongue and has a fulsome mouthfeel that leads to a balanced, satisfying finish.

Fruit for the 2022 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 50th Anniversary was harvested from diverse terroirs, ranging from the cooler Coombsville region in the southern part of the Valley to warmer Calistoga in the north. Also in the mix are grapes from the renowned Rutherford and Oakville appellations—all blended in the production of a complex, intensely enjoyable Napa Cab that is itself a celebration.

From its deep, inky color to its rich, concentrated flavors of dark fruits and spices, the 2022 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 50th Anniversary truly captivates the senses. It’s a milestone for the Wagner family and a testament to their ongoing pursuit of excellence. This 2022 Caymus deserves to be savored and appreciated, both for its exceptional quality and also for the legacy it represents. I’m so pleased we have another one to hold for the future!