A few light $ cabs

[TheEngineer]

I've been travelling around a bit these last five weeks so I've not had the opportunity to write much (SF/SJ/Oak three times, Vancouver 3 times, Calgary, LA, Winnipeg, Toronto twice, New York, Indianapolis, St. Louis....I must be forgetting a few now....

I visited a friend one of those nights who's wine knowledge is as deep as his cooking knowledge. I were in awe.

Being a wine nut, he gets as much out of a great $8 bottle as a great $1000 bottle. So with that, we brought with us a brace of wines (one sangiovese and three cabs) that were more value driven.

(1) 2003 Mount Palomar Sangiovese (Temecula). This was acquired on my last trip to Temecula and I only really like this winery out of the entire area. This wine was nicely balanced red with light red fruits, red sour cherries, and a hint of spiciness. Medium finish and medium intensity. $18

(2) 1995 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon. (my last bottle that I had left from buying at KC's store....this one was one of a few stashed away in SF), Elegant, balanced with still a tonne of fruit laying just under the surface. Peaked/peaking for this bottle (freshest of the lot that I had). Good acid and structure. $39.99

(3) 2003 Q Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Fruit forward, thicker body, red and dark fruits, like plums, with a bit of wood, not very balanced but not poorly made, yet nothing really special for the price of something like $27.99?? (Albertson's...the Silver bottle is a better value)

(4) 2004 X Winery Napa Valley Cabnernet Sauvignon this wine can't be $15 locally,…its too good. Nice dense but balanced black fruits, black cherry, and blackberry. Good balance with some resolved tannins on the finish

(5) 2002 spring mountain cabernet sauvignon. Wow. This think was vibrant! So alive that it instantly made an impression on you. Great aromatic nose, blackfruit, cocoa, and some floralness but a medium + body with a very nice finish. A bit of the "austerity??"/focus of spring mountain cabs. Nicely made and distinctly original. Lovely...