2011 Shooting Star Canernet Sauvignon

You know, I can admit it, sometimes I'm a really shallow wine drinker.  Take tonight's wine for example, the 2011 Shooting Star Cabernet Sauvignon from Lake County California. Did I buy this wine based on recommendations? Reviews? Some technical specification?  Nope. I bought it because the label looked really cool with this retro sort of Art Deco look I love!  So there you have it, sometimes the marketing geniuses designing packaging win!

To the wine, it's a lit lighter in color than a typical big California Cabernet but it's still a lovely deep ruby color in the glass. The nose is very thick with ripe jammy fruit, raspberries, cherries, plum amid a background of oak. The taste is surprisingly not sweet or jammy as the nose would suggest but instead it's very austere.  You are greeted with a lovely combination of tart cherry, raspberries and fresh herbs that transitions to some stark minerality mid palate. The tannins are very nicely structured giving rise to a very smooth and dry finish.
 

 

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's a lovely food friendly wine at a descent price (I found this bottle for $17). The lightness a structure of this wine make it much more versatile than a standard big Cabernet, so you don't feel as bad enjoying it with a meal that's not a big steak!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic northwest dinner of alder planked Alaska sockeye with some fresh asparagus and oven roasted fingerling potatoes. Delicious!