2015 Oberon Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's been incredibly hot and humid here today, so I've spend much of the day indoors as I am not so good with excessive heat.  In that light, I've opened up what I hope will be a good wine with the dinner I have planned, the 2015 Oberon Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  This wine a product of Michael Mondavi, a family that has done so much to elevate American and Napa Valley wine over the years, so I'm looking forward to this one. 

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, somewhat lighter than the big, bold Cabernet you typically see from Napa Valley.  The nose presents aromas of leather, green grass and black fruit, with an overwhelming sense of freshness, almost like a breath of spring air.  The taste is a delightful rush of ripe black fruit, black cherry, plum and blueberry that just completely envelops the palate before transitioning to some light mineral notes intermingled with a hint of vanilla bean midpalate.  The tannins are soft but well integrated, making for a long, velvety smooth and dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as I must admit my expectations weren't that high for a sub-$20 Napa Cabernet from Costco.  This wine is perfect for everyday drinking and would pair well with the classics for Cabernet, a big, hearty steak, which of course you know I have, so tonight I'm enjoying this one with a rare grilled thick Angus T-bone on a bed of grilled leeks along with mashed potatoes and chives and some steamed broccoli.  Cheers!

2015 Spoken Barrel Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Friday!  Tonight I've opened another bottle of wine that I bought last weekend at my local supermarket's 15% off wine sale, the 2015 Spoken Barrel Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  This one had an interesting look, I'm a sucker for painted labels, so I thought I'd give it a try.  Plus it was pretty inexpensive, so what do I have to lose?

The wine is a deep inky color in the glass with some nice garnet along the edges, just as you'd expect from a Cabernet.  The nose is fairly standard Cabernet, with some aromas of leather, cherry, smoke and oak.  The taste is a brief rush of black fruit, which transitions to some notes of cassis and vanilla midpalate.  The tannins are somewhat subdued, but still supportive of the smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's a quite pleasant drinking wine, but not spectacular (though it was a pretty good value at just $17).  This would be an easy sipper for a weeknight house red wine and would pair well with a broad range of foods, from pasta or burgers, to steak or barbecue.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic steak dinner, rare prime bone-in ribeye with tater tots and grilled asparagus!  Cheers!

2015 House Wine Red Blend

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, my local supermarket was having a sale on all wines, 15% off, so I decided to pick up a bunch of wines that I likely wouldn't have bought otherwise.  So tonight I've twisted off the cap on a bottle of 2015 House Wine red blend, originally a creation of Charles Smith in Walla Walla, this value priced wine has evolved to include wine sourced from Washington, California and Idaho, making this a true "American" blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Petit Verdot, and other red varietals.  So let's see if this one makes it in my house!

The wine is a lighter body, with bright garnet color in the glass.  The nose is somewhat subdued, with notes of leather, smoke, blackberry and cassis.  The taste is somewhat fruit forward, with a blast of blackberry jam that transitions to some hints of mint and peppery spice midpalate.  That tannins are a bit sharp, but the finish is nice and dry with a lingering of black fruit.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7, it's nothing spectacular, but it's a decent drinking red table wine that was a bargain at just $8.  This wine would be good with a variety of hearty dishes, from steaks and burgers, to barbecue and pizza, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with pasta on the patio, some three cheese tortelini with a tomato cream sauce.  Cheers!