2013 Greystone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

It's Tuesday night and the week is progressing well!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of next month's office wine club selection, the 2013 Greystone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon that I bought a while ago in a case deal from wineshopper.com. This one is a little interesting as it was joint effort between the Culinary Institute of America and Markham Vineyards to make a nice everyday, food friendly wine.  The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petite Sirah from Lodi, the Sacramento Delta and San Joaquin Valleys of California.

The wine is a rich ruby color in the glass, with a somewhat lighter body than the typical California Cabernet.  The nose is rather subdued with a bit of blackberry, vanilla and oak.  The taste is quite pleasant, with a rush of ripe fruit up front, blackberry, raspberry and a bit of vanilla bean that transitions to some green herb flavors midpalate.  The young tannins really grab you as they form a solid foundation for the bright, fruit driven finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's a very nice everyday red wine and a terrific value at just $9!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic comfort food meal of meatloaf with some steamed Brussels sprouts.  Not anything fancy, but a good mid-week meal that really pairs well with this wine as the heartiness of the beef and zing of tomato sauce really balance the rich, ripe fruit of this wine.  Salut!