Five Star Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (2006 – Red Wine)

Aug 7 2009

There’s nothing like discovering you don’t have a taste for cab the week before your review on a cabernet is due – right? So, instead of reviewing cab, I am going to spend the next 200 or so words telling you why PalateBomb is such an awesome site and you should advertise here so I can get paid. I’m kidding (well, not about the getting paid part).

After trying several cab “fails,” I went to the Kennewick Yoke’s and explained my dilemma to the totally awesome wine department associate (Chrystie B.). She showed me some different bottles at various prices, but in the end, I saw the sign and had to pick Five Star’s cab (Five Star is located in the Walla Walla Valley). The sign in front of the bottle reported it having notes of chocolate. Maybe it’s a girl thing, but I was sold.

At the suggestion of Chrystie B., I picked up some chocolate to go along with my tasting as she said it might help train the palate to accept the more fuller bodied flavors of cab. And, you know, yeah chocolate! On the nose, the wine has a rich dark cherry smell (the sign did not lie!), but it’s not overwhelmingly harsh (as I’ve noted with the other cabs I did not like). It actually smells sweeter than most reds I’ve tasted. This definitely impressed me.

When it came to tasting I held my breath (not literally – it’s better to breath so you can take in all the subtleties while you are drinking. And… WOW. This was nothing like the cabs I had rejected in the past. Absent were the harsh tannins that caused me to cringe, and it was just a smooth, peppery, slightly fruity taste. It went down easy and lingered pleasantly on the back of my tongue. I was enjoying the wine so much, I didn’t initially note that I did not taste the chocolate that had initially led me to purchase it.

Paired with dark chocolate, this was a wonderful treat that I am, right now, pleasantly letting myself believe was zero calorie. Chocolate and cab do not have calories, right? Thought so. Time for another glass!

Canyon’s Edge Cabernet (2005 – Red Wine)

Aug 5 2009

The USA has a president, Canada has a prime minister, but in the world of wine, Cabernet is king.

Yes, if I had to appoint a “type” of wine as high council, it would be cab…hands down.  Why, you ask?  Robust, full bodied, and has the air of someone who knows that they’re just a little bit better than the others.

A little history:

The grapes we known widely as “Cabernet Sauvignon” are derived from two other varietals called Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.  This was discovered just recently in the late 1990s with the use of DNA typing.  Before this discovery it was rumored the grape had ancient origins, even dating back to Roman times being used to create an ancient Roman wine.

Cabs traditionally have a dark, dense, and highly tannic profile.  It’s easy to find cabs that give off flavors like black pepper, current, asparagus, and jam.  Cabernet has an affinity for oak. It ages extremely well in traditional oak barrels, however lots of winemakers use larger barrels, as to bring less wine in contact with the wood resulting in a less dramatic oak influence.

One of my favorite cabs in the last couple years, has been the Canyon’s Edge Cabernet Sauvignon from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA.  This particular cab has taken home silver in three different competitions locally in 2008, and has been recommended by master sommelier Angelo Tavernero.  I poured myself a glass just the other day and I was delighted to see that it was still incredibly good.  Here’s what I experienced:

Blackberries, dark current, and a hint of nutmeg on the nose with plenty of oak.

Raspberries, and a full, dark chocolate on the tongue, and a nice spicy, chocolate finish that’s smooth, drinkable, but holds up GREAT with a nice thick steak.  With such a complex flavor profile, I would recommend opening this up early, and even decanting as to let all the flavors come out to breathe.  Grill up your favorite cut of beef, and go heavy on the spices if you want. Don’t worry, the king can take it…

The Canyon’s Edge Cabernet is a wonderful wine at any vintage, and it has yet to disappoint my palate.  It may be hard to find so call around ahead of time to your local stores and ask for it so you don’t waste a trip.  Why are you still here?! The king is waiting…

Emiliana Vinyards “Natura” Cabernet (NV – Red Wine)

Aug 3 2009

Kicking off our week of “Captivating Cabs” An Bui brings a wine from Chile to the table… — SH




How to Hail a Cab… Cabernet, that is.

“I like it how I like it when I like it and that’s how it is…” Lindsay Lohan, Bossy

Never thought I’d quote LiLo, but last night my taste buds took a brief trip to South America. At dinner at a Brazilian grill in Denver, I asked my server to bring me tastes of each cabernet on the menu. I knew I wanted a cab, but didn’t know which one. I thought I might have the Brazilian cab, but I wanted my taste buds to make the decision.

I tasted the Peterlongo from Garibaldi, Brazil and the Natura from Valle Central, Chile.
The Peterlongo, a medium bodied wine, hit my taste buds with a crisp, tart fruit. The wine’s sweet, light scent paired with its taste and did not have the complexity I sought.

My final choice? The Emiliana Vineyards “Natura” from Valle Central, Chile. Made from organically grown grapes, this cabernet presented a very full body and a fruity scent, reminiscent of ripe berries. The deep jeweled red gleamed in the medium lighting. As the Natura slipped across my tongue and down my throat, I caught hints of fruit, the slight bitterness much like really dark chocolate. The complex finish was both smoky and spicy at the same time.

Of the various meats I sampled (peru com bacon, presunto, mahi-mahi, lamb, and many others), the pairing I enjoyed most was the picanha, a rare top sirloin, with the Natura cabernet. The beef highlighted the wine notes in a distinctive manner.

An drank the Natura cabernet from the Valle Central region in Chile ($7.25/glass), at Rodizio Grill in Denver’s LoDo neighborhood.
For taste, color, scent, experience and complexity, An gives the Natura cabernet a 3 out of 5.