Eclipse Bourbon Barrel Cabernet Zinfandel

Happy Sunday!  I got a few things accomplished this afternoon, including painting the base coat of the windmill I brought home yesterday as well as smoking a large short rib plate which will be my dinner tonight.  Which brings me to the wine I've opened this evening, the Eclipse Bourbon Barrel Cabernet Zinfandel blend from the Dry Creek Valley of California.  This wine was made by a friend of mine which he does as a hobby, sourcing grapes from California and blending and aging the wine for his friends.  So, given that my dinner will be barbecued tonight, I couldn't think of a better wine than a Zin-Cab blend!

The wine is an inky color with a deep garnet color along the edges, as you might expect from such a blend.  The nose presents aromas of leather and oak, with some undertones of blackberry jam.  Take a sip and you are treated with an evolving series of black fruit, blackberry, blueberry and currant that transition easily to some notes of charred oak and mineral midpalate.  The tannins are somewhat subdued, which opened the door for some pronounced acidity on the dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a 7.5, as it's a solid effort from my friend, but could be a bit more refined in complexity.  As I mentioned, this wine would pair well with barbecue, and it just so happens that I'm enjoying this wine with dinner on the patio, barbecued beef short ribs along with some mustard baked beans and sriracha slaw.  Cheers!

2016 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Tonight I've opened a bottle of Cabernet that I recently picked up at Trader Joe's, a wine from a familiar producer that is getting into the latest hip trend, aging Cabernet Sauvignon in bourbon barrels!  The 2016 Robert Mondavi Private Selection Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon is produced from Mendocino County fruit, a portion of which is set aside to age in new and used bourbon barrels, to provide some of the same flavors of oak, vanilla and spice that makes people just love bourbon (I tasted another one I really liked back in June which you can see here).  Now, this could be a future wine club selection for my friends, so let's see how this one tastes.

The wine is a deep, inky purple color at the center, with bright garnet along the edges, just as you'd expect from a nice Cabernet.  The nose is a wonderful combination of oak, leather, vanilla, spice box and a hint of green grass that just makes me think of sitting in an old library.  The taste is refreshingly fruit forward, with notes of cherry, blackberry and cassis with intermingled hints of vanilla bean and oak.  Midpalate, we have some additional notes of caramel and mocha with just a hint of tobacco.  The chewy tannins provide the base for a long, smooth and very dry finish that seems to last until you take your next sip. 

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, I don't like it as much as the last bourbon barrel aged Cabernet I tried, but that one was a year older, so this one might develop a bit more over the next year.  The wine is also a solid value, as I found this one at Trader Joe's for about $15.  This wine would be outstanding just sipping over conversation with friends or family, or it could be great with a nice steak or barbecue.   Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a rare frilled prime New York strip over a bed of grilled leeks, with some oven roasted fingerling potatoes and some grilled asparagus.  Cheers!

2015 Stave and Steel Cabernet Sauvignon

So today I went to my local supermarket for my usual grocery shopping endeavor, and to my surprise they were having a special on wine with all bottles 15% off, so although I seldom shop for wine at the supermarket this gave me a motivation to explore.  I ended up finding five bottles, two were Charles Shaw wines from Washington, which are usually a good bet for supermarket wine, but then I saw this 2015 Stave and Steel Cabernet Sauvignon from California and I was fascinated, as it it was "bourbon barrel aged."  Now apparently aging alcoholic beverages in used bourbon barrels is all the rage right now, with beer makers doing it, and now apparently wine makers as well.  To be fair, the wine was aged in these barrels for just four months, so it wasn't like they spent years in there, but I'm willing to give it a try, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a lovely garnet color in the glass, with nice clarity, somewhat lighter than you might expect from a big California Cabernet.  The nose is quite nice, with sophisticated aromas of leather, tobacco, dried herbs, certainly the nose portrays a wine of quality well beyond the price I paid.  The taste is a rush of ripe blueberries, cherry and plum at the outset, that evolves into an almost prune or raisin flavor mixed with vanilla and smoky pepper spice midpalate.  In many ways the wine reminded me a lot of a nice Amarone with the flavor profile.  The tannins were refined, yet somewhat soft, leading to a long, smooth and dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as the bourbon barrel aging certainly adds something to this wine as it's tasting well beyond its weight class for a wine I just bought for $19!  This is certainly an interesting one, and not your traditional big fruit bomb Cabernet, but more like an old world Cabernet, or as I mentioned an Amarone with the fruit and spice concentration.  In any case, this wine is practically begging to be paired with a nice big steak or some barbecue.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled coffee-rubbed prime filet mignon over a bed of grilled leeks, with some Brussels sprouts grilled with bacon and corn on the cob.  Cheers!