CHEERS WINE SELECTIONS
RETAILER WINE SELECTIONS
Our panelists recommend a lineup of top quality/value cabernet sauvignons.
RATING SYSTEM
***** Five Stars (92-100)
A top-flight wine. Superior in taste and character and providing an outstanding price/value relationship.
**** Four Stars (86-91)
A very good wine and an excellent value. A wine for which customers will keep coming back.
*** Three Stars (80-85)
Above-avarage wine at a reasonable price point, which many customers will enjoy.
This month, we asked our National Wine Panel (cited at the end of this article) to suggest some top cabernet sauvignons, the varietal that remains the most popular red wine in the U.S. As always, these selections include brief tasting notes, a rating and the wine’s suggested retail price (which varies from market to market). If you’re a retail beverage professional who would like to learn more about participating in our panel, call Jack Robertiello at 718 857 3660, or email him at jrobertiello@adamsbevgroup.com.
FIVE STARS
***** 97 1998 Dunn Napa Valley Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon (California). Big, bold and powerful; intense and rich with gobs of black currant fruit, smoke, spice and earth; this gem will last another 15 years. $100
***** 97 2001 Hourglass Cabernet Sauvignon (California). A magnificent effort by Bob Foley; must decant to open this wine’s silky, elegant rich and ripe dark chocolate and dark cherry. $100
***** 93 2001 Rodney Strong Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon (California). Big and bountiful with ripe plums and chocolate in the nose; mouth-filling flavors with great structure; a magnificent finish. ($14)
***** 95 2000 Ch. Rochemorin Rouge, Pessac Leognan (France). This gorgeous Pessac shows off vivid color and a seductive bouquet of Asian spice, leather and cigar box; the fruit is a mélange of currant, black cherry and hints blackberry; the balance is a nearly flawless combination of elegance and power. $25
***** 95 2001 Paul Hobbs Napa Cabernet Sauvignon (California). Great balance of oak and tannins; big, bold, black fruits; a blockbuster. $60
***** 94 2001 Gargiulo Money Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon (California). A massive wine; concentrated cassis and plum; tannic; a long finish; will age beautifully. $45
***** 94 2001 Chateau Mongravey Margaux (France). Sweet aromas of jammy black fruits intertwined with vanilla and spice; mostly cabernet with just the right touch of merlot to soften it up and make it accessible now through 2010. $30
***** 93 2000 Gundlach-Bundschu Rhinefarm Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (California). A fabulous, deep, rich wine that will only improve with age. $30
***** 93 2001 Leonetti Cellar Walla Walla Valley Reserve Red Table Wine (Washington State). A blockbuster wine exhibiting incredible elegance and panache, this wine explodes with enticing red currant and black fruit aromas; on the palate, it composes itself with a beautifully layered palate; perfect with grilled lamb chops. $100
***** 93 2001 Rudd Oakville Estate Red Wine (California). An incredible effort, this wine offers both power and style; highly extracted yet smooth and well-balanced, this is one of the vintage’s top wines; excellent with a Porterhouse steak. $100
***** 93 2001 Sebastiani Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (California). Rich and intense with hints of cassis and chocolate in the nose with a mélange of flavors that when swirled around the palate seem to get deeper and more elegant and leads to a truly memorable finish. $24
***** 93 2000 Casa Lapostolle Raphel Valley Clos Apalta (Chile). A well-designed blend of carmen
