Tag Archives: Cabernet Sauvignon

Who and Why

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The Audacity of Thomas G. Bright’s Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay Sussreserve are made from grapes grown in the Niagara Peninsula and the Okanagan Valley with roots that stretch all the way back almost 150 years. 

Full-bodied with a bit of spice and toast, the Cabernet-Merlot blend is grown in Okanagan and finished in whisky barrels for an exceptionally smooth finish. Look for red fruits from the Merlot and black fruits from the Cabernet.

Who would drink this? … Why – rebels, rascals, ruffians, hoofers and woofers and probably woofing hoofers – of course!. 

It worked really well with Stew, which is also a hodgepodge of terroir.

THE AUDACITY OF THOMAS G. BRIGHT – CABERNET MERLOT 2019

$17.99

14.5% Alcohol

UPC: 00063657039915

Surprising Value particularly when on sale

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But to get full flavour, let it breath … for at least a couple of hours.

Lovely purple hues to the red.  Dark fruit on the nose, soft and more dark fruits on the palate and lovely tannins to finish.Consider it a medium bodied, slightly juicy Cab Sauv.  Good acidity and enough tannin to balance.

It certainly went well with baked yam, peas and pea pods and lamb kefta.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON – SALTRAM S1 SOUTH AUSTRALIA 2019

$12.99 regularly $19.99

14% Alcohol

UPC: 00098137000949

Now or Later?

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A smoothly textured, blend of Merlot (60%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (40%), this wine has big tannins and rich potential. Solid structure, wood-aging flavours and broad fruitiness give it a good future. AB will probably want this one to lay down on the job for a couple of years.

It’s a truly elegant wine. This red has a full palate with refined, polished, and well-integrated tannins. 

This wine is the latest in a line of gold medal winning bottles. From the Château Belair-Coubet, comes wines made to perfection because they’re grown and vinified with passion. This red blend is aged 14 months in French oak barrels and then given to you to enjoy. 

If it hadn’t been so windy and cold outside I’d have flashed up the BBQ. Instead,  the whiner grilled spicy lamb kebabs.

COTES DE BOURG – CHATEAU BELAIR COUBET 2019

$17.99 regularly $19.99

14% alcohol

UPC: 03336580005218

Return engagement

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In December, we sampled the Cabernet Merlot freshness from Petrichor.

This wine is lively, zesty and tropical.  Crisp on the finish. As timeless and enduring as BC Rain.  It’s refreshing and decidedly goes with just about anything. (we had it with chicken breasts stuffed with cranberries.  The sides were a turnip/carrot mash and broccoli.

Pronounced Pe-tri-kawr, which means the pleasant, earthy smell after rain, this BC Sauvignon Blanc comes from the Southern Okanagan and falls under VMF and Artisan Wine Company. 

PETRICHOR – SAUVIGNON BLANC

$16.99 Regularly $18.99

12.5% Alcohol

UPC: 00776545600905

A Great start to mystery case #22

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Argentina is heralded for its Malbecs, but in the last two decades Cabernet Sauvignon has been drawing increased attention from winemakers there, and is now the third most planted variety. It is grown in the Mendoza region in the Andean foothills, especially in Maipú and Luján de Cuyo, at altitudes between 2300 and 3100 feet. Here the climate is continental, with hot summers and cold winters. It is very dry and sometimes quite windy, with runoff from the snow-capped Andes providing irrigation. These Argentinian Cabernets offer dark fruit, spice notes, full body and often a voluptuous style.

With over 1500 acres of vineyards, El Esteco is the most important winery in the CalchaquÍ Valley. An inhospitable but magical place, at dizzying heights of 1700 meters (5600 feet), that breathes life into extraordinary wines. A winery that seeks to surprise, to create distinct wines that highlight the unique characteristics of the CalchaquÍ Valley terroirs. The unique climate of this place manifests itself in the elegant profile of El Esteco’s wines, with colors, aromas and flavors accentuated by the sun and the altitude. These are wines with an indelible sense of place, wines which complement food rather than overpower, wines which are true to their origin.

This is a heady one. Rather intense.  Deep.  Very pleasant. Medium to full body, firm tannins and a beautiful, silky finish.

CABERNET CABERNET – EL ESTECO BLEND DE EXTREMOS 2018

$17.99 regularly $19.99

14% alcohol

UPC: 07790189043501

3 Valleys

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Alexander Valley runs from the centre of the Sonoma County east to the Mayacamas range that borders with Napa. Warming heat and less ocean influence allows the reds like Cabernet Sauvignon to ripen especially well. 

This cabernet sauvignon is heavy with berries flavours. Firm, velvety tannins and a loong finish.

The grapes were gently destemmed, but not crushed, leaving a significant portion of whole berries for fermentation. A full eight to ten days of contact between the grapes and the skins allowed us to extract intense color and flavor before fermentation. After primary fermentation, the wine completed malolactic fermentation to soften the acid structure and add complexity.

We kept dinner simple: tzatziki, thin Med pita, lamb/beef/veal kefta with lots of raw veggies.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON – FREI BROTHERS RESERVE ALEXANDER VLY 17

$26.99 regularly $29.99

13.8% Alcohol

UPC: 00085000010532

Plays nicely with Prosecco

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Summer lunches with friends on the deck are always a great way to spend an afternoon.  We let South Australia play with Italy.

And proved Real Men do eat quiche.

A gentle blending of Syrah, Cab Sauv and Grenache from Tread Softly got us started and then pushed ourselves away from the table to quafe away the Prosecco after downing ginger frozen yogurt.

Low carbon footprint (and trying to eliminate it), Tread Softly is planting native trees for every dozen sold.  Harvesting in the cool of mornings and then regular fermenting in steel with lots of erating … then a 3 month sleep before bottling.

It’s delicious and freshly flavoured.  Long Crisp dry finish.

Tread Softly – Rose

$16.99

10.9% alcohol

UPC: 09344154013969

Storied Chapters of life

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Second Chapter Wine Co. on Tinhorn Creek Road in Oliver is owned by John Pullen, previous co-proprietor of Church & State Winery in Oliver for 15 years. Church & State was sold and Second Chapter is literally Pullen’s second chapter in the Okanagan wine industry.

Cabernet sauvignon is a robust, full-bodied wine that is pretty up front.. Merlot tends to be a little more delicate and sweeter. 

We like them both and even better when a nice balance is achieved with a blend that has spent some time in French Oak (22 months). Let it cellar for a bit and try again!

Second Chapter Merlot Cabernet 2018

Brawny

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Vintage 2017 began with restorative rains that replenished soils, helped support vine growth and fortified the vineyards through the Spring. Harvest began normally with yields looking promising, but a late-August heat wave that continued into September caused harvest to pick up at a rapid pace. October was marked by wildfires in the North Coast, and while the fires devastated many homes and properties, our fruit was unaffected and our winery made it safely through this tumultuous time. Overall, most saw an abundant harvest with above normal yields that gave our winemakers quality fruit and the opportunity to develop wines with depth and character.

The blend is 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petite Sirah, 7% Malbec, 5% Merlot and 1% Syrah. This is a blend that works with anything, anywhere anytime.Cherries and blackberries up front, lovely tannins to build the complexity and then a soft round finish.  Lots of depth and a definite character to it.  It tastes like a Cab should.  Someone said ‘brawny and old school” .. Yeah. I agree.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON – HESS SELECT NORTHCOAST 2017

$26.99  regularly $28.99

13.5 % Alcohol

UPC: 00717888510025

Got it right in One

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The best things in life are usually really simple.  And this is a wine that is just that: Good, honest, and delicious. Simply – just pour it and enjoy.

It’s created by a wine maker with a great philosophy: Linda Trotta’s motto “A good wine is a wine you like“. Thus, pleasure is the aim for the majority of their wines rather than following a particular trend, matching with special food or expressing the nuances of a certain terroir.

As Linda says “Remember, red wine is seasonal, as in good in every season. Don’t overthink it.”


And as I would say “Suck it up Sunshine!”

CABERNET SAUVIGNON – BREAD AND BUTTER

$22.99

13.5% Alcohol

UPC: 00818051020744