2010 Noble Vines 337 Cabernet Sauvignon

It's a hot summer day and a perfect time for grilling out, and where there's steak, there's Cabernet Sauvignon!  For tonight's adventure, I've decided to open a bottle of 2010 Noble Vines 337 Cabernet Sauvignon from Lodi, California.  Now you know I've always been a big fan of Lodi Zinfandels as I think there is just something magical about what they do with Zins out there, but the Cabs are more of an open question for me.

The wine is a bit lighter in color than I expected, with a bright ruby color throughout.  The nose exhibits notes of leather, oak and rich ripe fruit, blackberries, cherries and plums.  The taste is somewhat fruit forward, with a blast of sweet ripe fruit at the outset, eerily similar to many Lodi Zins, which then transitions to some earthy limestone notes midpalate.  The tannins are somewhat subdued, even though this wine has a very nice, long and modestly dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's a little young and might improve a bit with age, but I believe this wine is better consumed now rather than waiting.  It was also a good value, as I recall buying this at Trader Joe's and I seriously doubt I paid more than $10 for it!  Tonight I am pairing it with a classic summer dinner of rare grilled Angus ribeye with some grilled corn on the cob and some steamed asparagus, so yummy!  The rich fruit presents a nice counterbalance to the heavy flavors of the steak, which is ideal in my view.  Cheers!