2013 The Federalist Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Hump Day!  Tonight I have a special treat, a bottle of wine that I confess I totally bought for the label, the 2013 The Federalist Cabernet Sauvignon from Lodi!  I saw this in the supermarket a few months back and with the lettering and the engraving of Ben Franklin, I thought I have to buy this, even if the wine isn't good, I'm a big history fan and this is big history!  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (87%), Merlot (6%), Cabernet Franc (4%), Petit Sirah (2%) and Sangiovese (1%).  Besides, although I really like the Zinfandels from Lodi, they do all right with Cabs as well.  So let's see how this stacks up to history!

The wine is bright ruby in the glass with nice clarity.  The nose presents aromas of leather, green grass, black currant and boysenberry.  The taste is quite nice, with a rush of black fruit up front, currant, plum and cassis that transitions nicely to some lovely mineral notes of limestone and tobacco midpalate.  The finish is very nice, with well structured tannins supporting a long, smooth and very dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, as it's surprisingly good for a mass market wine, and it was a solid value as I think I bought this on sale for less than $10!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic midweek dinner of chorizo and black bean tacos, as this wine complements the flavors and doesn't make you feel bad for enjoying it midweek!  Cheers!