Tag Archives: caberent sauvignon

Expensive wine 172: 10000 Hours Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

10000 Hours Cabernet Sauvignon bottle
10000 Hours Cabernet Sauvignon 2018/$27-$40

Washington state red is a classic example of the region’s approach

The wine business has not been kind to Washington state over the past several years, with the recent Ste. Michelle Wine Estates production cuts just one more kick in the teeth. But none of this has anything to do with Washington state wine quality, as the 10000 Hours Cabernet Sauvignon demonstrates.

We’ve reviewed several 10000 Hours wines on the blog, and not because they were samples. As regular readers know, too many of the samples I get tend to make me stare skyward existentially.

But not in this case. The 10000 Hours Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 ($32, sample, 14.5%) is classic Washington state cabernet sauvignon, which means a bit eucalyptus aroma and a very rich and very very full wine that needs food.

But, as with the best of these kinds of wines, it’s not hot despite the high alcohol, there isn’t too much vanilla or too much oak, and it’s eminently balanced. The tasting notes talk about some coffee flavors, and that may be there, but there is certainly lots and lots of deep red fruit. The age helped to make the wine rounder and more agreeable (and there is still a fair amount of this wine on store shelves, despite the age).

This is a wine to to think about when as the weather cools (which may actually be happening here). Serve it with red meat and let it open for a bit before drinking.

Expensive wine 162: 10000 Hours Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

10000 Hours Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 bottle
10000 Hours Cabernet Sauvignon 2019/$26-$40

Once again, Washington state producer offers quality and value – and just in time for the holidays

Thank you, 10000 Hours.

In an era when finding expensive wine worth writing about has become past difficult, this Washington state producer has done the blog proud twice.

The first was in January, with its red blend. Today, we have the 10000 Hours Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 ($30, sample, 14.5%), which takes the red blend in a decidedly Washington state cabernet direction.

That means a dense, rich red wine that doesn’t taste like it came from Napa – so less obvious oak, more intriguing tannins and lots and lots and lots of black fruit. So layers and layers, though hardly subtle. The winery’s tasting notes probably wax a little more poetic about espresso beans than they should, but I’ll forgive the excess. The wine is that well done – and it’s hardly the kind of style that I wax much poetic about.

The rest of the technical stuff: Five grapes the blend, though 84 percent cabernet; the grapes come form Washington state’s Red Mountain, a highly acclaimed region; and this wine will age maybe 8 or 10 years, another plus at this price.

Highly recommended, and just the thing for a holiday dinner for a red wine drinker who wants to go a slightly different direction.

Wine of the week: Chateau la Freynelle Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Château la Freynelle Cabernet Sauvignon
Château la Freynelle Cabernet Sauvignon 2018/$13-$20

This French red – from Bordeaux, even – offers tradition and a fair price

Let’s get the aggravating bits about this French red out of the way:

First , the producer makes two reds – a blend and this wine, a varietal cabernet. So knowing which one to buy can be confusing. Second, availability can be spotty, even though it’s a well-known producer and a decent-sized importer. Third, prices are all over the place, as much as $20.

So why is it a wine of the week? Because the Freynelle cabernet ($13, purchased, 13.5%) is worth the aggravation – not just a Hall of Fame wine, but worthy of Cheap Wine of the Year consideration for 2023. And how often do we find that quality in red Bordeaux at a fair price these days?

In other words, stunning wine. The Freynelle is rich but not heavy and there’s just enough fruit and it isn’t too ripe. The fruit, in fact, comes damn close to Bordeaux’s legendary black currants. The wine is also savory, with proper tannins, and it’s oh so balanced.

Could it use a little merlot to soften it? Maybe. But who’s complaining?

Imported by Aquitane Wine

 

Mini-reviews 125: Guimaro, Castle Rock, Silverado, Bibi Graetz

guimaroReviews of wines that don’t need their own post, but are worth noting for one reason or another. Look for it on the fourth Friday of each month.

• Guimaro Vino Tinto 2017 ($20, purchased, 13%): Solid, well-made, and very fruity (black cherry?) Spanish red made with the mencia grape. I wish it had had a little more earth and interest, but it’s young and should get some of that as it ages. Imported by Llaurador Wines

• Castle Rock Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley 2017 ($25, sample, 14.5%): Not a bad value for $18 – mostly a typical, ripe black fruit, rich and oaky Napa cabernet. But it’s not overdone, and you can drink it without feeling you’re eating Raisinets at the movies. The catch is that the suggested price is $25 (though it may be available at a lower price at some retailers).

• Silverado Vineyards Sangiovese Rosato 2018 ($25, sample, 14.5%): Polished, New World- style rose (lots of berry fruit) with a bit of zip and a touch of heaviness from the alcohol. But it isn’t appreciably better or more interesting than a quality $10 rose.

• Bibi Graetz Casamatta Bianco 2018 ($12, purchased, 12%): Italian white blend, mostly made with vermentino, that has tart lemon fruit, some floral aromas, and a crisp and rewarding finish. Very food-friendly; one of those wines to sip on the porch as summer ends. Imported by Folio Fine Wine Partners

Wine review: Four Target California Roots wines

Target California Roots winesThese four Target California Roots wines don’t do anything to help the cause, and three of them aren’t even worth the $5 they cost

The Wine Curmudgeon wanted to write a glowing, “run out and buy these wines” review. Those of us who care about cheap wine need the good news. But these four Target California Roots wines aren’t much better than the $3 junk I tasted earlier this year – sadly, more marketing hype than wine, and where the back labels are of higher quality than the wine.

For instance, why does $5 wine have a cork? Why do the bottles have a punt (albeit shallow)? Why is the phrase “vinted in the Golden State” on every bottle? Why should I care? Why is not one of the wines labeled sweet, including the moscato, when my mouth felt like cotton candy at the end of the tasting?

The wines were purchased; each cost $5. My Target didn’t have the red blend, the fifth wine. Read and weep:

• California Roots Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (13.5%): Smells like boysenberry juice, tastes too much like children’s cough syrup, and finishes with that old Big Wine standby, charred chocolate fake oak. It’s not so much that it doesn’t taste like cabernet, but that it’s overpriced at $5.

• California Roots Chardonnay 2016 (13.5%): This smells like chardonnay, with lots of green apples, and I had high hopes I could write something nice. But the wine is so thin – diluted apple juice for babies? – that it had almost no flavor at all, save for a bit of sweetness. I’ve never tasted chardonnay made in the style of cheap, inoffensive pinot grigo.

• California Roots Pinot Grigio 2016 (13.5%): Professional and competent wine, even if it’s not exactly pinot grigio. Think Costco’s Kirkland pinot grigio (pears and tonic water), but with appropriate amounts of sugar to cover up any bitterness and to round out the rough spots.

• California Roots Moscato 2016 (10%): Not quite as sweet as white zinfandel, but that’s the approach. There’s a hint of the characteristic orange aroma of the muscat family, but everything else is sugar. And then a little more sugar just to be on the safe side.

Expensive wine 21: Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Another reminder why points are worthless.

The Grgich ($60, sample) is a gorgeous, beautiful wine with all elements in balance, and it's only going to get better as it ages. It's a lesson in winemaking — how to produce a Napa Valley cabernet that speaks to the terroir without the excesses (too much oak, too much fruit) that drive so many of us crazy.

So what scores did this wine get? How about 89 points from something called the Connoisseur's Guide? How about 92 from the Spectator? I've got $10 wines that score that well. To add insult to injury, Robert Parker wrote: ".. high acids and high tannin give the wine a monochromatic, clipped, lean character that will not age out. Rather, the wine is likely to dry out."

All of that negativity, of course, is because the Grgich is a gorgeous, beautiful wine without any of the excesses that drive so many of us crazy and that earn the wines with the excesses such high scores. Look for black cherries and a rich, long finish without any of the sweetish fruit that the excess wines display — and, at the risk of offending Mr. Parker, this wine is not going to dry out.

This is a holiday wine for prime rib and Yorkshire pudding, or nuy it as a gift for someone you really like and who will really appreciate it. And, thanks to the recession, it's available for as little as $45 at a variety of Internet retailers.