Some of our favorites from Cabernet and its cousins,
chiefly Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
October 9, 2024
The Blends
Cain Cuvee 13; Napa
Cain Cuvee is the affordable offshoot of Cain Five, one of the best Napa Valley Bordeaux blends. In it, ace winemaker Chris Howell broadens the estate's fine mountain fruit with lusher valley-floor grapes. With a decade in the bottle, the 2013 Cuvee is in a very nice place, emphasizing the lushness of the vintage with an oh-so-satisfying creamy richness. About half Merlot, the rest other Cabernet grapes.
Aroma: Very rich and sweet intense; Mouth: Light, clean, very rich, intense, full, floral, creamy texture with refined acid, very ripe and full, ripe and crisp on the finish, Excellent $53; Case, $45
from Bordeaux
2019 Ch Canon, Canon-Fronsac
We love this merlot Cabernet Franc blend
One critic wrote, "Bursting from the glass with glossy notes of black plums, crème de mure, and violets. The palate is plump and juicy, with a pleasing sweetness to the fruit to make this ever so moreish in its youth. A hint of oak spice rounds out the finish nicely."
Tasted from an aired bottle, we loved its mellowed spice of cabernet franc and wood and layered complexity. It has a lot of pleasure for the price.
Aroma: savory and herbal franc spice, some leather and cassis over blackberry; Mouth: bright, dense, smooth, clean mouth failing Merlot, herb tinged, nice lines, well composed and complete and satisfying; Very Good - Excellent$29.99; Case, $25.49
How could we not include a classed growth, Bordeaux?
2020 Ch. Marquis D’Alesme, Margaux
It's a lusher style of elegant Margaux, majority Cabernet Sauvignon
it leaps from the glass with vibrant notes of mulberries, black cherries, and blackcurrant pastilles, plus suggestions of underbrush, fallen leaves, and violets
"Lilacs, roses, licorice, espresso, spice, wild cherries, and a hint of tobacco leaf shoot from the glass. On the palate, the wine is supple, creamy, polished, and generous, and the fruit is full-bodied, fresh, and rich, leaving you with layers of perfectly ripe plums, cherries, and a touch of chocolate that comes in at the end. "$55, Case $47, two cases plus only
The (almost) Pure Cabernets
2020 Andrew Will Cabernet Franc Two Blondes Vineyard, Yakima Washington
A precisely rendered version of the grape
Chris Camarda's Andrew Will Columbia Valley wines are never too ripe or over-oaked; they remain true to the varietal and their place.
It begins with ripe blackberry, red plum, cedar, wet stone, forest floor, and menthol. It is bright over a core of black cherry and graphite. Tannins do not overpower subtler notes on a long finish of tart red currant.
Color: very dark; Aroma: sexy, intense cedary, and herbal notes offset deep fruit; Mouth: clean, nicely herbal, finely textured fruit, rounded with good underlying fruit; Excellent $42; Case, $356
2019 Arrowood Cabernet Sauvignon Napa
Classic Napa Cab that shows pure fruit and no angular tannins. Enjoy its excellent fruit depth.
Aroma: heady, rich, intense, full, and fat with classic Napa current; Mouth: clean, smooth, very pretty, fine acid elegant tannin, bright acid, pure smooth cedar-currant, clean light on the finish with notes of sweet oak; Very Good - Excellent $40; Case, $34
2019 Jax Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa
This tiny estate near Calistoga in northern Napa has talented Kurt Venge make this wine for them. In warm 2019, he gave them a wine extraordinarily well-balanced between fruit and structure that is drinking well now. After tasting it, we grabbed the last two cases.
Aroma: low toned, rather deep, chocolate, light bright, clean, rich intense, lifted, very dark fruit, elegant; Mouth: chewy and direct, fine acid, and firm, firm, well sculpted, ready some angular structure; Excellent $64; Case, $54
Mix any six or more at their case prices
Len Rothenberg
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