2011 Slingshot Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

It's been a busy day, what with farmers' markets and tractor shows, life in the country can get really busy!  So tonight I've settled in with a new bottle of wine that I just got last week, in fact this was my first order based on an offer I received from Snooth.com, and I saw it was a 2011 Napa Valley Cabernet at a great price, so how could I pass it up?  So I ordered half a case and am enjoying the first bottle this evening.

The wine is a dark ruby in the glass, a classic Cabernet color.  The nose, I must admit was surprising.  It was a lovely combination of black fruit, blackberry and black cherry intermingled with a bit of anise, black pepper and a hint of mint.  The taste was a blast of rich jammy fruit, much more like a Lodi Zinfandel than a Napa Cabernet, but that gracefully transitioned to some nice warm spice notes along with a bit of dusty limestone midpalate.  The finish was quite nice, as the spice, vanilla and fruit made for a complex bit of flavor as the well structured tannins provided for a velvety, smooth, dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's a great and versatile wine at a value price as I paid only $13!  The nice thing about this wine is that at some moments it feels like a nice Napa Valley Cabernet, which makes it great to pair with a nice rare porterhouse topped with grilled leeks and red peppers as I'm doing tonight.  But it also has that secret identity that seems more like a Zinfandel, which would make it great to pair with barbecue or a variety of classic summer fare.  A surprisingly nice and versatile wine, cheers!