Affairs of the Vine | Wine Education - Event Planning - Wine Boot Camp

2009 Bang for Your Buck Cabernets

Women Judges Scores

Bang for Your Buck Wines (Great Cabernets for under $18)

heart heart = Love at First Sip

Huntington 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon California, $14.00: 3000 cases produced
(94)

Female: Possibilities in the nose with lots of cigar and baked cherry are delivered on the palate. Lovely, full and generous fruit and sweet oak. Root beer notes on the soft, nice, long finish. Duck seasoned with Five-spice powder should pair perfectly.

Woop Woop 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon South Australia, $12.00: 10000 cases produced
(93)

Female: Fascinating, complex - bright cherry and cassis aromas replicate on the palate with additions of tea, smoke and cola. Keeps delivering. Yummy with roasted leg of lamb with a berry and balsamic glaze.

Hahn Estates 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Central Coast, $14.00: 11400 cases produced
(92)

Female: Dark and rich fruit with a hint of anise on the nose. The wine is very rich and ripe in the mouth with prominent bright cherries. Pleasantly drying tannins on the finish.

Roundhouse 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County, $15.99: 1000 cases produced
(90)

Female: Fascinating fruit notes on the nose and in the mouth. Fun to drink. No heavy oak. Not a big wine but a nice wine.

heart heart = An Affair to Remember

Heartland 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Langhorne Creek/Limestone Coast, $15.00: 5000 cases produced
(89)

Female: Red and black fruit accented with vanilla and cola - nice! Powerful, masculine structure with a long finish.

Pedroncelli 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Dry Creek Valley, $15.00: 8000 cases produced
(88)

Female: Still a baby, this wine is still maturing. Cherry, raspberry and some black fruit aromas and flavors. The wine is dense on the palate. The fairly intense tannins are apparent from mid-palate through the finish. I will buy this wine, lay it down and try it in amother six months.

Cabernet Blanc 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon American, $14.95: 900 cases produced
(87)

Female: An unusual entry. This is a Cabernet Blanc, a blush wine. Share this wine with your friends who prefer fruity wines. Really sweet and ripe strawberries on the nose and in the mouth. I'd like to save this wine for a cheese course and pair it with some lovely ripe blue cheese.

Woop Woop 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon South Australia: McLaren Vale and Langhorne Creek, $11.99: 6000 cases produced
(87)

Female: Cherry and blackberry aromas replicate on the palate. Easy to like. Would be a real winner if it's under $15.

Eos Estate Winery 2006 Caberbet Sauvingnon Paso Robles, $18.00: 12000 cases produced
(86)

Female: Pleasant and easy to drink. Cherry and red currant throughout. There is a hint of oak on the finish. A nice sipper.

A Cellar Full of Noise 2005 San Miguel Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles, $14.99: 1380 cases produced
(85)

Female: Aromas of sweet cherry cough syrup deliver flavors of sweet black cherry highlighted by smoke and mint. A pleasant red wine.

Buttonwood 2005 Cabernet Franc Santa Ynez Valley, $18.00: 197 cases produced
(84)

Female: Violets and earthy aromas with light cherry and cranberry fruit tinged with some smoky notes.

Barefoot Cellars NV Cabernet Sauvignon California, $6.99: 357000 cases produced
(84)

Female: The nose reminds me of pleasant childhood memories - like Welch's grape jelly. There is sweet cherry fruit on mid-palate through the finish. Pleasant everyday sipper. Enjoy at your next BBQ.