Wine Wdnesday: J. Davies, Cabernet Sauvignon

Shortly after Christmas I received a bottle of 2006 J. Davies Cabernet Sauvignon from my parents. Ahh, the joys of shipping hooch across state lines -- it's like living during the era of prohibition!

But, you've gotta admit, this is one excellent care package!

The J. Davies wines are made by the same people who make Schramsberg Champagne sparkling wines. My understanding is that they're very new to the world of regular wine. But OMG, they have absolutely nothing to worry about. This wine was amazing!

This Cabernet Sauvignon was the smoothest that I've ever had, with no alcohol burn on the back of the throat. Consisting of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Malbec, and 6% Petit Verdot, this wine's taste was smooth and consistent, with strong flavors of currant, plum, and black pepper. Just smelling it before the first sip, my wife and I just knew this wine was going to be amazing. And it was.

Usually I stick to the cheaper wines (hey, lacking full-time employment for over a year will do that to ya!), but I can honestly say, that this wine is worth every penny. Thanks to my parents for introducing me to this wonderfully tasty and smooth wine from Napa -- my taste buds have just moved to a higher wine bracket!

Wine Rating:

Score: 5/5

Price: $$$$$$$$ (about $80)

Wine Info:
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
Diamond Mountain District
J. Davies Vineyards
Calistoga, CA
707-942-8354
http://www.jdavies.us/

Wine Wednesday: Deficit Red

Ok, ok, it's Friday. I know. But this post was meant to appear on Wednesday. So, that's why I still consider it to be a Wine Wednesday Posting....

But I'm here to tell you about a great bottle of wine -- that you've never heard of. Deficit Red.

It comes across as a novelty wine. With a huge downward pointing red arrow on the label to the phrase on the back: "For the debts I have paid, trying to stay ahead, here is a bottle of wine. Now we are all in the red!"

This is a robust Cabernet. With strong flavors of black pepper and plum, this wine has a good blend of spice and fruit. But it does have a heavy mouth-feel, and strong nose. So, we found it best to let this one air about about 10 minutes before drinking. It softened the pepper and alcohol, while allowing the fruit to become more intense.

If you're having a meal with this wine, be sure that it's a strongly flavored meal. Pasta with tomato sauce, steak, etc. The meal could easily get lost in the strong flavors dancing around your tongue.

This Cabernet from Monterey is quite good and worth a try. Also, considering the down economic times, it's hard to wine (Get it??) about the approx $12 price tag.

Wine Rating:

Score: 3.5/5

Price: $$

Wine Info:
Deficit Red
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
Monterey, CA
http://www.alittlemorewineplease.com/catalog1.0.html.0.html

Wine Wednesday: Fox Brook Cabernet

Last night I had the distinct pleasure of meeting a Foodie reader. Jinny wrote the winning entry for the Write a Review contest, which appeared about 30 posts ago. So, last night I sat down at Corkscrew with Jinny and her boyfriend over one two three (lost count) glasses of wine, and had a great time.

During our time there I sampled the Fox Brook Cabernet. It's a solid wine, but far from transcendent. From my understanding, it is Albertson's (California grocery chain) equivalent of Trader Joe's "Two Buck Chuck."

This cabernet has strong flavors of fruit. In particular, I noticed plum and blackberry, with a hint of currant. Its smell is also on the fruity side, but this doesn't overwhelm the wine. The wine isn't dry, and has a smooth finish.

It's good, but not great.

Wine Rating
Score: 3/5

Price: $

Wine Info:
Fox Brook Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine Wednesday: 2007 Newman's Own Cabernet Sauvignon

Now, I know what you're thinking. The late Paul Newman's company - Newman's Own - makes salsa, marinades, salad dressing, cookies, lemonade, cereal, popcorn, and pizza. What's the only remaining food group missing?

If you answered "Ice Cream," you're wrong. (But good idea!)

You should have answered wine!

In general I've found Newman's Own products to be darn tasty, so when I was at the opening of the Bloom grocery store off of Beaties Ford Rd., I decided to splurge and grab one.

This 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon is heavy on the fruit. It is moderately dry and leaves a fuzzy feeling on the tongue. It has strong amounts of cherry and blackberry, with a hint of spice. While my nose detected some vanilla, which was completely overwhelmed by the previously mentioned fruit.

It's a decent wine, but for the $12 (sale price) I paid, I've had better. Then again, I've had worse, too!

Wine Rating: 2.5/5

Price: $$

Wine Info:
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Newman's Own
Rebel Wine
St. Helena, CA 94574

Wine Wednesday: Cupcake Cabernet Sauvignon

As you all know, I'm a sucker for marketing. And when I saw this Cupcake Vineyards bottle, my interest was piqued. So, I picked it up and noticed that it was from California's Central Coast. This bottle was getting better.

Then I saw it. Listed on the back. Livermore, CA.

Two of my favorite under-appreciated wine growing areas in California are the Santa Cruz Mountains and Livermore. Chances are, if I see a wine from there, I'm going to buy it.

So, needless to say this bottle of wine with the girly label and cute name was mine. Yeah, I traded in my Man Card to buy it.... but it was a worthwhile trade.

This 2006 Cabernet was good wine. It has a strong currant and fruit flavor that hits you the second you drink it, and it's finish is surprisingly dry -- which I typically don't like. However, this dry after-taste didn't last long; as soon as I noticed it, it began to fade.

My wife and I shared this bottle over Spaghetti Bolognese, and the bottle didn't stand a chance. This didn't taste like your typical Cabernet Sauvignon -- it lacked the spicy complexity that many have. However, it went down easy, and tasted pretty darn good.

If you're looking for a simple bottle of red that's relatively cheap and tastes good -- this is your bottle.

Score: 3.5/5

Price: $-$$ (Originally priced at $14, I got it on sale at Harris Teeter for $10)

Wine Info:
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

Central Coast

Cupcake Vineyards
Livermore, CA
http://www.cupcakevineyard.com/

Wine Wednesday: Redwood Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

When I bought this bottle, I was looking for three things. Good price, red wine, and California. Finding those, I bought this 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon for less than $10 at the local grocery store.

Again, I was sucked in by a pretty label. I saw the name Redwood Creek, and the pretty picture of redwoods, and well, a creek, and I was thinking Northern California, along the coastal hills, with large redwoods that are hundreds of years old. Then I looked at the back. Modesto, CA. MODESTO?????

I grew up just outside of Modesto. Modesto almost in the middle of California's Central Valley. Modesto is at least a 90 minute drive from the nearest redwood trees. And the creek mentioned, is probably a canal with reservoir water. UGH.

But I've gotta give those marketing guys credit. They got me hook, line, and sinker. BRAVO!

Ok, the marketing aside, this is a solid wine. It's a VERY deep purple, and in dim light almost looks black. It's very fragrant, and my nose was filled with smells of plum and a hint of vanilla. When I drank it, it also has a definite plum flavor, which makes it a little lighter than other Cabernets. In addition, It has a smooth finish which makes this wine very drinkable.

Rating: 3/5; It's a solid wine at a great price. If you like Cabernet Sauvignon, this one to get.

Price: $ (Less than $10)

Wine Info:
Redwood Creek
2007
Cabernet Sauvignon
Modesto, CA

Wine Wednesday: Pine & Post - Cabernet Sauvignon

In an effort to bring a little more diversity to the content of this blog (and as a way to keep restaurant bills down), I'm starting Wine Wednesdays. Where every Wednesday, I'll bring you a review of a wine I recently tasted. And this one really knocked my socks off: Pine & Post - 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon.

This Cab comes to us from the Pacific Coast. Specifically, the Columbia Valley of Washington State. Typically I'm a California wine snob, and specifically, I love the chardonnays and pinots from that region. So, I went out on a limb when I tried this. What factors drew me to it? The desire to try something new, the label, and the price (was on sale for under $7 at Harris Teeter).

Despite the low price, this wine is no Two-Buck-Chuck. Instead, I found this deep red wine to be extremely smooth with no alcohol burn on the throat. It is slightly dry, and has a strong concentration of currant flavors, with a hint of plum. It had enough spice to it, so that it wasn't overwhelmed by the pepperoni pizza I was eating, but it's mild enough so that it can just be enjoyed by itself.

I highly recommend this wine. I've had much more expensive wines that aren't nearly as good, and whenever I go to the store, and find it on sale, I usually bring 2-3 bottles home with me. For the price, it just can't be beat.

Wine Recommendation: Buy Now, Buy Often

Price: $ (Less than $10)

Wine Info:
Pine & Post
2006
Cabernet Sauvignon
Columbia Valley, WA