Concannon Central Coast Cab

Name: Concannon
Color: Red
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: California
Region: Central Coast
Price: $8.50
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

This was a really good wine and a great bargain (less than $10).  It's really balanced with dark cherries and other dark berries in the nose and mouth, as well as some chocolate in the finish.

Louis M. Martini Cabernet

Name: Louis M. Martini
Color: Red
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: California
Region: Sonoma
Price: $14
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)

This was a nice California Cab that we enjoyed with pizza and later on its own. It was dry and smooth, with flavors of blackberry and dark cherry and a little bit of spice. Nice tannins with a medium body and medium finish. It's a good value for a well-made Cabernet from California.

Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Bonterra
Color: Red
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2008
Country/State: California
Region: Mendocino
Price: $12
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

We had this tasty organic California cab last night with burgers that I grilled. The Bonterra cab is very fruity and juicy with red berry flavors and a smooth feel in the mouth. It was a little hot at first, but after some time in the glass it mellowed out rather quickly to allow the flavors to shine through. We really enjoyed this affordable cab.

Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Excelsior
Color: Red
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2006
Country/State: South Africa
Region: Various
Price: $9
Stars: 4 (out of 5)



We had this delicious little South African cab last night with homemade steak sandwiches and pasta. The dinner and the wine were terrific. The aroma is strong...It's full of juicy blackberries and black cherries. The flavor is similar, but also has a hint of dark chocolate on the mid-palate. The finish isn't incredibly long, but is still very satisfying. This wine drank very well on its own, as well. We continue to have good success with wines from South Africa, which we've really focused on lately thanks to the World Cup.

The Excelsior Cabernet is an excellent bang for your buck type wine that will please most anyone.

Coastline Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Coastline Cabernet Sauvignon
Color: Red
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: California
Region: Paso Robles
Price: $9
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

We drank the Coastline Cabernet Sauvignon last night after dinner and were very pleased with how good it was for the price (less than $10). After a busy Saturday of going to Jackson's football game in the morning and doing lots of yard work, it was nice to kick back, watch a movie, and pop the cork on this nice medium-bodied, smooth Paso Robles Cab. Good nose and taste...mostly dark berries and raspberries. A little bit of chocolate came through in the mouth, which I really liked.

This Coastline Cabernet is an excellent value and a great everyday type of wine.

Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Clos du Bois
Color: Red
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2005
Country/State: California
Region: North Coast
Price: $9
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

Krista and I both really liked this Cabernet from Clos du Bois. The wine was nice and dark and inky in the glass, with a great nose of blackberry, black cherry, and plum, with some vanilla from the oak. It was well-balanced and velvety smooth in the mouth. I tasted mostly dark berries with a bit of spice. The finish was fairly long and left me wanting more.

We drank this delicious wine with steaks and mushrooms and a spinach salad. The wine went well with the steak and was also excellent on its own after dinner. It wasn't long before we finished this bottle. For the price, I would highly recommend the Clos du Bois Cabernet.

Talon Winery Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Talon Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
Color: Red
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2005
Country/State: Kentucky
Region: Lexington
Price: $22
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)

Last night we had the Cabernet Sauvignon that we picked up at the Talon Winery in Lexington, Kentucky. At first this wine was a little tight or closed up, but after about an hour in the decanter, it really got smoother and more mellow. The dominant aroma and taste was black currants and cherry, but it also had an indescribable taste that was neither good nor bad...It was just different compared to most Cabs we've had in the past. We drank this wine last night with steaks and mushrooms that were seasoned and grilled. The wine was better with the food than without. All in all, it was nice to drink a wine that reminded us of our summer trip to Kentucky!! Plus, it's always fun to try new wines from outside of the common wine producing states.

Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Liberty School
Color: Red
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2006
Country/State: California
Region: Paso Robles
Price: $12
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

We broke out the Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon tonight and really enjoyed it. It was just a coincidence, but now that I think about it, it's pretty appropriate that we chose a wine with "Liberty" in its name to enjoy on July 4th. We stayed in tonight after keeping the kids out late last night to watch the fireworks show after the Clearwater Threshers minor league baseball game. There's nothing like minor league ball. For $25, a family of four can get tickets, 4 hot dogs, 4 drinks, and 4 bags of chips. A great value for the money. Speaking of great values...

This wine was silky smooth and had the honor of being the first wine poured into the decanter I received for Father's Day. It probably didn't need decanting, but I really wanted to break in the decanter!

The wine was a deep purple in the glass with a nose of blackberries, blueberries, and vanilla. It was rich and full with a sweet spiciness that was really brought out by the cracked pepper in the grilled chicken we had for dinner. It didn't take long for Krista and I to polish off this bottle tonight. It was very well balanced, had a nice mouthfeel and long finish, and at just $12, was an excellent value. It's bold enough to be paired with red meat, but smooth enough to enjoy on its own. We both really liked this wine and would definitely purchase it again.