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91 Clone 7 2008 Reserve Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). For full review see page 6. Editors’ Choice. abv: NA Price: $20 91 Rubissow 2008 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Mount Veeder). Cabernet simply doesn’t get richer or riper than this. It’s a massive explosion of sweet cherry and blackberry jam, cassis, dark chocolate and caramelized oak, wrapped into firm tannins. Tastes like a candy bar now, nowhere near ready to drink. Hold until 2015, at least. Cellar Selection. —S.H. abv: 14.9% Price: $125 90 Atlas Peak 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). For full review see page 7. abv: 14.9% Price: $35 90 Bennett Lane 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). Made in a style to appeal to the popular taste for Cabernet, and succeeds wildly. It’s delicious, offering waves of blackberries, cherries and plums, wrapped in firm, ripe tannins and finished with smoky oak. No mere fruit bomb, it’s a complex wine with a long, spicy finish. Drink now–2014. —S.H. abv: 14.5% Price: $55 90 Buehler 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). For full review see page 7. Editors’ Choice. abv: 14.6% Price: $25 90 Jacob Franklin 2007 Hoffman Lane Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). Made in the modern style, this Cabernet is dark in color, soft in acids and tannins, and enormously fruity. The flavors of blackberries, blueberries, mocha and roasted nuts suggest sweetened granola candy. It’s a flashy wine that impresses for its sheer power. Drink now-2015. —S.H. abv: 14.6% Price: $65 90 Occasio 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (Livermore Valley). For full review see page 8. abv: 13.5% Price: $36 90 Rodney Strong 2008 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley). For full review see page 8. abv: 15% Price: $45 90 Rubissow 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (Mount Veeder). For full review see page 8. abv: 14.5% Price: $50 90 Rubissow 2007 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Mount Veeder). At the age of more than four years, this 100% Cabernet remains an immature clash of fruit, oak and tannins. Everything sticks out, especially the massive blackberry and cassis flavors. The oak is sweet and butterscotchy on the finish. With a superb structure, it seems like an ideal cellar candidate, except for a touch of bitter raisin in the finish. Hard to predict its future. Try in 2015. Cellar Selection. —S.H. abv: 14.9% Price: $125 50 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | MONTH 2012 89 Armanino Family Cellars 2009 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). Marked by acidity, strong tannins and powerful fruit, this Cabernet is a three-way playoff. The fruit is the obvious early victor, flashy in plums, blackberries, cassis and cedar. But the astringency makes it difficult to enjoy now. Cellar for six years, and see what happens. Cellar Selection. —S.H. abv: 14.8% Price: $95 89 Darcie Kent Vineyards 2008 Madden Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon (Livermore Valley). For full review see page 9. abv: 13.9% Price: $24 89 Hawk and Horse Vineyards 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (Red Hills Lake County). Hawk and Horse have managed to make a delicious Cabernet from a challenging vintage. Dark, earthy flavors of cedar, spice and blackberry, are enriched with plenty of smoothness and structure to give it that extra something special. Made by winemakers Dick Peterson and Scott Harvey from a certified-Biodynamic vineyard with rocky red soil at 2,200 feet above sea level. —V.B. abv: 14.1% Price: $65 89 Silver Oak 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). Lots of nice blackberry, cassis, plum and new oak flavors in this dry, tannic Cabernet. It hews to an old-fashioned style, with an earthiness that suggests time in the cellar. Try after 2014. —S.H. abv: 13.9% Price: $100 89 Venge 2009 Silencieux Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). A tremendous wine. Made from 100% Cabernet and raised for nearly two years in 40% new French oak, it defines the ripe, hedonistic Napa style. Yet it’s no mere fruit bomb, offering a tobaccoey earthiness to the berries. A touch of raisins and heat in the finish seems to limit ageability, though, so drink up. —S.H. abv: 14.8% Price: $48 88 Amizetta 2009 Terraced Hillside Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). Lots of ripe blackberry and cherry fruit in this Cabernet, accented with notes of licorice and oak. It’s a good wine, full-bodied, tannic and dry. Very good now, especially after a brief decant, but too dependent on fruit for a higher score, and doesn’t seem like an ager. —S.H. abv: 14.5% Price: $45 88 Coghlan 2009 Spessartite on Quartz Fusion (Santa Ynez Valley). Half Merlot and half Cabernet Sauvignon. The Merlot saves the day, rescuing the underripe Cab with rich flavors of cherries and red plums. Oak adds the usual notes of sweet buttered toast and spice. Drink now. —S.H. abv: 15.4% Price: $47 88 Concannon 2008 Mother Vine Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Livermore Valley). This wine adds to the growing case to be made for Cabernet Sauvignon in Livermore Valley. Mother Vine Reserve is a smallish offering for Concannon, loaded with black olive, tea and black pepper. It’s Cab Franc-esque in some way, yet intensely dark, brooding and velvety. —V.B. abv: 14.5% Price: $35 88 Fazeli Cellars 2008 Khayyam Cabernet Sauvignon (California). For full review see page 9. abv: 15.2% Price: $44 88 Francis Ford Coppola 2009 Director’s Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County). Made from 100% Cabernet, this is a fine everyday wine. It’s dry, full-bodied and satisfying in blackberry, cola and currant flavors, with a nice kiss of oak. The alcohol level is nice and low. Ready to drink now. —S.H. abv: 13.5% Price: $21 88 Foyt Family 2009 No. 72 Meritage (Sonoma County). A nice dry wine to drink now. It’s soft and velvety in the mouth, with flavors of blackberries, plums, anise and cedar. Blended with a little Cabernet Franc and Merlot, it’s brightened by a bite of acidity. —S.H. abv: 14.5% Price: $32 88 Frias 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (Spring Mountain). Acidity hits the palate like a shard of glass, immediately followed by rich, concentrated flavors of blackberries, cassis and spices. The tannins are strong, too. All the parts simply have not come together. Will it age well? It’s not a slam dunk. —S.H. abv: 14.5% Price: $70 88 Ideology Cellars 2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). With sweet blackberry, cassis, anise and mocha flavors, this Cabernet is a flashy wine, but you’ll find some overripe, raisiny notes toward the finish. Drink now before it goes downhill. —S.H. abv: 14.4% Price: $48 88 J Ludlow 2009 Kemsley 1550 Cabernet Sauvignon (Santa Ynez Valley). Here’s a softly smooth, polished Cabernet for drinking now. Blended with 20% Merlot, it has approachable flavors of berries, mocha, cassis and toasty oak. —S.H. abv: 14.6% Price: $30 88 Jacob Franklin 2007 #50 Mon Chou (Napa Valley). Marked by enormously ripe, powerful fruit flavors, this wine explodes with jammy blackberries, cherries and red plums. Oak adds even richer notes of toast and sweet caramel. Drink this deliciously soft wine now. —S.H. abv: 14.4% Price: $55 88 Mario Perelli-Minetti 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). Lots of ripe, pleasurable flavors of blackberries, black currants, dark chocolate, plums and oak in this dry, nicely structured Cabernet. It’s pretty tannic, though, with a tough astringency, and doesn’t have the fruit to outlast the tannins over time, so give it a decant and drink soon. —S.H. abv: 14.5% Price: $23 88 Maroon 2009 Maroon Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). Sweet and lush, showing ripe blackberry, plum, cassis, raisin
and oak flavors. It’s one of those wines that just feels fine in the mouth, satisfying your basic Cabernet craving. Drink now–2015. —S.H. abv: 14.1% Price: $80 88 The Grade 2008 Winfield Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Calistoga). This 100% Cabernet was grown in a Calistoga vineyard. It was aged in 40% new oak. At the age of 3½ years, it’s still quite tannic, even a bit rustic, with zippy acidity and fresh, jammy blackberry and black cherry flavors. Hard to say where it’s going, but try aging it for 5–6 years and see what happens. —S.H. abv: 14.3% Price: $80 88 Tortoise Creek 2009 Cherokee Lane Cabernet Sauvignon (Lodi). For full review see page 11. Best Buy. abv: 13.8% Price: $11 87 Beringer 2009 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Knights Valley). Feels rough in the mouth, with jagged tannins framing ripe, extracted blackberry jam and oak flavors. A little rustic and fruitysweet now, but could gain traction with a few years in the cellar. —S.H. abv: 14.5% Price: $45 87 Black Box 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon (California). Quite a good Cabernet, especially at this price. They blended some other varieties, including Zinfandel, Malbec and Petite Sirah, which bring extra layers. It’s a fine everyday wine—fruity, spicy, fullbodied and dry. Best Buy. —S.H. abv: 13.5% Price: $25/3 L 87 Francis Ford Coppola 2009 Black Label Diamond Collection 1910 Type Claret Cabernet Sauvignon (California). A rich, lusty wine, dry and easy to like for its array of blackberry, cherry, anise and sandalwood flavors. Made from the traditional Bordeaux varieties, based on Cabernet Sauvignon, it really pleases the palate. Drink now. —S.H. abv: 13.5% Price: $20 87 J Ludlow 2009 Jane (Santa Ynez Valley). Mostly Merlot, with some Cabernet Sauvignon, this blend starts out a bit angular, so give it some air before drinking. Although it’s not an ager, it shows pleasantly ripe blackberry, cherry, mocha, herb and spice flavors. —S.H. abv: 14.6% Price: $35 87 J Ludlow 2008 Kemsley 1550 Cabernet Sauvignon (Santa Ynez Valley). Fresh and jammy in raspberries, cherries and blackberries, this wine trades complexity for sheer fruity power and lusciousness. Drink now. —S.H. abv: 14.6% Price: $30 87 Lava Cap 2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (El Dorado). A very soft-textured Cab, unusual for its high-elevation origins, with sweet red fruit and dark plum nestled around a trace of chocolate. —V.B. abv: 14.5% Price: $22 87 Valley Legend 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (St. Helena). With a soft mouthfeel and upfront cherry, blueberry and blackberry flavors, this Cabernet puts all its chips on sheer deliciousness. It’s a winner, but not an ager. Drink now. —S.H. abv: 14.7% Price: $60 86 Burgess 2008 Estate Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). Made from estate grapes, this blend of all five Bordeaux varieties shows the hard tannins and minerality that characterize Howell Mountain reds. However, it’s surprisingly soft and its blackberries and currants are modest in scale, making it a sound wine for drinking now, but not for aging. —S.H. abv: 14.5% Price: $38 86 Cakebread 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). Oak dominates this wine, with toasty charcoal aromas and flavors. The underlying wine seems pretty simple, with blackberry fruit flavors. Doesn’t seem capable of aging, so drink up. —S.H. abv: 14.1% Price: $60 86 ecoVINO NV Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendocino County). Encased in a lightweight, eco-friendly AstraPouch, this easy-to-share Cabernet is full of bright, cherry-fruit flavors and clove. It’s simply drinkable and a good way to go for picnics, tailgates or when you just want a small pour. —V.B. abv: 13.4% Price: $19/1.5 L 86 Heron 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendocino County). A simple, straightforward Cab. It shows herb and green pepper amid clove and currant and it’s low enough in alcohol not to mess you up. A perfectly fine everyday wine. —V.B. abv: 13% Price: $14 86 Hesperian 2007 Harry’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). The vineyard is in Coombsville, a cool part of the valley that recently received official recognition as an AVA. The wine, which was made from 100% Cabernet, is soft, sweet and oaky, showing simple blackberry, cherry and anise flavors. —S.H. abv: 13.9% Price: $70 86 Hesperian 2007 Muscatine Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). Almost black in color and still very tannic, even at more than four years of age, this Cabernet is dry and soft in blackberry, cassis, dark chocolate and oak flavors. Despite being made from 100% Cabernet, its aging possibilities seem limited. —S.H. abv: 14.9% Price: $80 86 Hesperian 2007 Tom’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Rutherford). Ripeness was no problem during this fantastic vintage. The wine is rich and satisfying in black cherries, currants, cola, spicy mushu plum sauce and sandalwood flavors. There are some irregularities, though, that limit the point score, such as excessive softness, out of place acidity and a candied sweetness on the finish. —S.H. abv: 14.5% Price: $70 86 Hesperian 2007 Tony’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Spring Mountain). Soft and melted in the mouth, this 100% Cabernet has deep flavors of blackberries, currants and minerals. It’s delicious, yet the structure is soft yet weirdly acidic. Doesn’t seem like an ager. —S.H. abv: 14.8% Price: $70 86 J Ludlow 2008 Jane (Santa Ynez Valley). A Bordeaux blend based on Merlot, this is a pretty good wine for drinking now. It’s soft and fruity, with cherry, mocha, spice and oak flavors. —S.H. abv: 14.6% Price: $35 86 Perry Creek 2008 Altitude: 2401 Cabernet Sauvignon (El Dorado). Fair Play-based Perry Creek’s Cab has high toned blue and red fruit and is tamely structured for being from high-elevation vineyards. Its finish is sweetly floral. —V.B. abv: 14.3% Price: $25 86 Q 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County). A standard Cabernet, dry and tannic. The best thing is the deep core of blackberry, currant, mineral and spice flavors. Drink now–2014. —S.H. abv: 13.5% Price: $14 86 Salvatore Principe 2010 Maestro Cabernet Sauvignon (California). Rich, mountainous yet velvety, this affordable Cab offers boysenberry, blackberry and green pepper, and a whiff of baked bread. Perfect for filling people’s glasses up at a party. Best Buy. —V.B. abv: 12.5% Price: $10 85 Beringer 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (Knights Valley). Tastes harsh and tannic, with extracted blackberry fruit that’s so ripe, it veers into sweet raisins. Pretty rustic, but gets the Cabernet job done. —S.H. abv: 14.5% Price: $27 85 Coghlan 2009 Amethyst Cabernet Sauvignon (Santa Ynez Valley). Shows the difficulties of making Cabernet succeed in this Santa Barbara County inland valley. It’s awkward, with sweet blackberry and bell pepper flavors swamped with oak. —S.H. abv: 14% Price: $54 85 Concannon 2007 Heritage Cabernet Sauvignon (Livermore Valley). There’s tobacco and chocolate throughout this highend Cab offering from Concannon. Maybe it’s the vintage, maybe it’s the time in bottle, but the wine’s complexity appears limited. —V.B. abv: 14.5% Price: $60 85 EOS 2009 French Connection (Paso Robles). Ripe and jammy, with blackberry, coffee, currant and cedar flavors, wrapped into firm tannins. It’s a bit rustic. The blend is Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. —S.H. abv: 14.4% Price: $25 85 Judd’s Hill 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley). Direct and fruity, with blackberry and blueberry flavors, wrapped into rugged tannins. Finishes a little sweet. Drink over the next few years. —S.H. abv: NA Price: $45 <strong>Wine</strong>Mag.com | 51
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Page 5 and 6: 93 Marimar Estate 2008 Stony Block
Page 7 and 8: 91 Coghlan 2009 Tourmaline Grenache
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Page 11 and 12: 88 BEST BUYS Releaf 2010 Made With
Page 13 and 14: at the back will undoubtedly increa
Page 15 and 16: Donna Olga 2007 Le Cacce in Villa 9
Page 17 and 18: 90 Lazzeretti 2007 Brunello di Mont
Page 19 and 20: long-lasting. This is a beautiful w
Page 21 and 22: It’s tannic, firm and ready for a
Page 23 and 24: ROSSO DI MONTALCINO 91 Capanne Ricc
Page 25 and 26: 85 La Torre 2010 Rosso di Montalcin
Page 27 and 28: 86 Collemassari 2010 Gròttolo Ros
Page 29 and 30: and lemon soda. There’s a sharp,
Page 31 and 32: texture, it revels in its fresh red
Page 33 and 34: Devo Enterprises Corporation. Edito
Page 35 and 36: 89 Cramele Halewood 2009 Kronos Lim
Page 37 and 38: y. Drink now-2015. The Triton Colle
Page 39 and 40: in a zesty, mouthwatering finish. D
Page 41 and 42: turns crisp and edgy on the finish.
Page 43 and 44: as more standard cassis and berry a
Page 45 and 46: y and lightly oaky, minty flavors.
Page 47 and 48: 90 Sarah’s Vineyard 2010 Chardonn
Page 49: 91 Coghlan 2009 Tourmaline Grenache
Page 53 and 54: 87 Francis Ford Coppola 2009 Direct
Page 55 and 56: lovely, but should develop over the
Page 57 and 58: in blackberry and cherry fruit and
Page 59 and 60: 86 Lava Cap 2009 Estate Barbera (El
Page 61 and 62: tain fruit. Ripe plums and cherries
Page 63 and 64: SPIRITS REMEMBER THE REPOSADO drink
Page 65: BEER STOCKING UP FOR SUMMER With su

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