We recently hosted a Cabernet Tasting Panel and found many of the Cabs to be Very Good. However, we also found that you will have to spend some money to get to this level and even more to reach the Very Good+ or Excellent level. In our first blind tasting of mid-priced Cabs we tried 18 different wines. We recommended 11 of them. Ten were Very Good and only one broke through to Very Good+. In our mini tastings we tasted another 15 wines. We only recommended 2 of these Cabs. Most were Good, but did not qualify as Very Good.
The winner of the Cabernet tasting was the 2005 Gloria’s “Old Vines” Cabernet Sauvignon $30. It hails from the Dry Creek Valley which is more known for Zinfandel than Cabernet. It was smooth, with nice balance. It also displayed jammy and ripe blackberry-like flavors. The Ken’s Wine Guide Tasting Panel thought it could easily be mistaken for an Aussie Shiraz. It was very well liked! The panel scored it Very Good+ (90 points). Now here is the bad news. There is not much of this tasty wine left. Only 124 cases were made. It may be tricky to find, but it will be worth trying. Their website is www.gloriasoldvines.com or call John at Bellevue Wine and Spirits in Newport, RI at (401) 846-7993. You can order it directly.
In second place was the 2004 Earthquake $28 from Michael and David Phillips. This Lodi Cab scored a Very Good (89.07) from the tasting panel. This Cab was smooth, soft, and nicely balanced, with slightly complex and tart cherry-like flavors that are influenced by black currant, vanilla, and oak. The panel felt this wine would appeal to readers who like the modern styled Barberas and Nebbiolos from the Piedmont region of Italy. Like the Gloria’s, the Earthquake’s unique flavor profile allowed it to finish near the top.
Our third place finisher was the 2005 Bianchi “Signature Selection” Cab $22 from Paso Robles, CA. As many of you know, Bianchi has been on a roll lately. This offering opens with an attractive cherry and menthol-like bouquet with hints of toffee. It continues as a medium-bodied Cab that is smooth, soft, and balanced with savory cherry vanilla flavors. This was one of my favorites. With a tad more structure it would have easily been a 90+ point wine. Overall we scored it Very Good (89 points). Enjoy this one with pheasant or veal marsala.
The fourth and fifth place finishers are steady and consistent Cabs each and every vintage. The fourth place finisher was the 2006 Valentin Bianchi “Famiglia Bianchi” Cabernet $18. The panel scored this wine from San Rafael, Argentina a Very Good (88.35 points). It opens with a very attractive cherry vanilla-like bouquet with hints of licorice and menthol. It is soft and balanced with spicy 
black raspberry flavors. Our fifth place finisher was an old standby. It was the 2005 Dry Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon $23. We frequently see this wine poured by the glass at many fine restaurants. It is really consistent from year to year. The KWG Tasting Panel came to that same conclusion again this year by scoring this wine Very Good (88.14 points). The panel felt this wine would pair nicely with meatloaf or eggplant parmigiana.
The remainder of our recommended Cabernets are as follows:
6) Stonestreet 2005 “Estate” (Alexander Valley, CA) $40 (88.0)
7) Volker Eisele 2005 “Estate” (Napa Valley) $42 (87.71) *Organic*
8) EOS 2005 (Paso Robles, CA) $18 (87.43)
9) Reininger 2005 “Helix” (Columbia Valley, WA) $22 (87.43)
10) Arrowood 2004 (Sonoma County, CA) $42 (87.21)
11) Fritz 2005 (Dry Creek Valley, CA) $35 (87.07)
From our Mini Tastings we recommended the following 2 Cabernets:
1) Murphy Goode 2005 (Alexander Valley, CA) $20 (Very Good)
2) Columbia Crest 2006 “Grand Estates” (Columbia Valley, WA) $11 (Very Good)
Here are some Cabs that I have reviewed non blindly over the last several months that you should seriously seek out. On the practical side, I would recommend the 2007 Concha y Toro “Casillero del Diablo” Cabernet for $11. This entry level Cab is nicely balanced, smooth, with very pleasant spicy ripe black cherry flavors with hints of plums. It is also a steal for the money and I rated it Very Good. A new option that I discovered recently is the 2005 “Josh Cellars” by Joseph Carr for $18. This Sonoma County blend is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, rounding it out with Merlot & Cabernet Franc. This wine is nicely balanced and easy to drink. Its flavor profile is tasty ripe cherries. This very approachable wine would pair nicely with burgers or steak tips on the grill.
Moving up in quality and price is the 2006 Concha y Toro “Marques de Casa Concha” Cabernet Sauvignon $21. We scored this wine Very Good+ or 91 points. This wine is smooth, structured, and flavor packed. The flavor profiles are plum and black current with notes of oak and anise. This beauty would pair quite nicely with your favorite steak.
Finally, we conclude with 2 “Excellent” Cabernets. They cost a pretty penny but are well worth the investment. We’ll start with the 2005 Lail Vineyards “J. Daniel Cuvee” $125 which is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. I have wanted to try this wine for a really long time and I finally got the opportunity at a recent trade tasting which I attended. I can tell you that this gem is very well-balanced, silky, classy, and elegant. It displays terrific cherry flavors that are absolutely irresistible. This wine is a perfect wine to enjoy with people you want to impress.
Equally impressive, but with a different style is the 2002 Tom Eddy “Napa” Cabernet $110. This wine opens with a very inviting spicy blackberry bouquet with hints of licorice and blueberry. It is ultra smooth, quite elegant, and has delicious black cherry flavors that make you yearn for a second glass or bottle. The finish of this wine remains elegant and its fine tannins linger for a tremendously long time. This is a very special wine for a special meal. Both of these wines are the kinds of wines that just blow you away. Their flavors just make you yearn for more. If you can find a bottle of either or both, treat yourself and see what a truly great Cabernet Sauvignon is all about.
In the end, we came to the conclusion that Cab is King, but to reach the royalty, you probably have to pay a king’s ransom. Be sure to visit all of our KWG Cabernet Recommendations under $50 and the Collectible Cabernets over $50. Stay tuned as our High End Red tasting is schedule for Nov 21st and we will report those results in early December just in time for the holiday gift giving season!