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| 2014 Awning Estate - Cabernet Sauvignon |
Sooooo, the first thing that I want to bring to your attention in this review is that this the very first red wine that I have ever seen that has a Screw Cap to seal it. I am sure you already know by now but if you don't I will tell you, I do not like Screw Caps and this is not Soda or some other fizzy soft drink. This is not Mad Dog 20/20 or Night Train, this is real wine. Actually, this actually normally is a $20 bottle of wine at that. I can put up with (not like) or deal with a Screw Cap on a white wine but on a red? So, let's get into this review, talk about this wine and see if there is any saving grace for this wine.
The other day I received an E-Mail from the Wine Of The Month Club (
https://desertwineguy.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-desert-wine-guy-review-of-wine-of.html) that advertised the 2014 Awning Estate - Cabernet Sauvignon wine for $4.99. Now, I am always getting E-Mails from them with wine deals but I usually have other wines in the house so while I will check them out on the Internet, I usually don't end up buy them. What I have found is that when they say a wine sells for $20 elsewhere they are always telling the truth. Well for some reason I was interested in this particular wine and when I checked it out on other sites I saw that this wine that was selling for $4.99 here was indeed selling for $20 everywhere else. After seeing some "reputable" sites also raving over this wine I decided to but four (4) bottles of it. The reason I usually don't buy wine on line is because of the shipping costs, in this case however the shipping was $12.....for four wines. That, is really good. Anyway, that is why and how I came to be reviewing this wine. Now, onto specifics of the wine.
The wine comes in at 13.5% Alcohol and is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Syrah (Shiraz), 2% Petit Verdot. The wine is imported from the country of Chile by Austral Wines
LLC. The grapes for the wine were all grown at the Awning Estate. Something interesting here is that I have learned is that in Chile a wine must be at least 75% of a specific varietal for it to carry that particular varietal as the sole one on the label AND be consumed in Chile. If the wine is exported it must have 85% and must also have 85%from the designated vintage year. To list a particular wine region one particular varietal must be at least 85% from that region. The Winemaker for our wine is Sergio Hormazabal Baglietto who's remarkable resume includes making wine on three continents, with
experience in Spain, France, Italy and the United States. Sergio was awarded
Winemaker of the Year in Chile in 2012. Now that's what I'm talking about. Here
(
http://goldenfrogproductions.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Awning_TechSheet_2014.pdf) is the Tech Sheet for the wine and for those of you who are as interested in that sort of thing as I totally am. The wine was matured in French Oak (25% new) for 12 months. Alright then, it is time to move on to the next phase of this review and that is the labeling of the wine so let's go ahead and get to that now.
Looking at the label here I see there really isn't really what you could consider to be a label on this wine, it is more of lettering. Looking at the bottle I wanted to stare at it for a long time as it was beautiful. Look at the pictures that I have included, are you liking it as much as I do? Not only is the front of the bottle beautiful but the back of the bottle which has the same type of lettering is also very informative and tells you a lot about the wine as well. I believe it is a nice touch of elegance and impressive as well.
Now onto the appearance of the wine in my glass, in other words what am I seeing? Well, I'm glad you asked because I am seeing a very dark red / Garnet in color wine with the bottom of the glass just barely visible to me. The wine is extremely consistent in it's appearance all the way through from the edges of the wine all the way until the middle of the glass. Some wines appear lighter then others at different points in the glass. This is another wine that as far as appearances also looks rather serious minded indeed. Looking at the glass from the outside there are long thin legs (Marangoni Effect) that
were put on a nice display as they ran down the side of the glass. I wish my Cellphone was able to
pick them up but it cannot and I'm too lazy to break out my good Camera,
sorry. Well anyway, lets do some more checking into this wine and get to its Bouquet.
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| Paul Kalemkiarian (owner Wine of The Month Club) & Ed Masciana |
So here we are, onto the Bouquet of our $4.99 bottle of wine. First up is a semi Dark Cherry note that meshes rather nicely with a note of medium Oak. The Dark cherry note is dominating but not by much. Both notes get together to combine for almost a note of their own and one that you most defenitely can taste is a well put together and serious one. There is a Blackberry note as well here but you have to (and should)
kind of seek out as it comes toward the back end of the Bouquet. Weirdly. There is also a sort of ultra light, almost hidden in the back, vegetable type note that I have never experienced expressed in this way this
before. Now, before you go getting crazy one me I should let you know that I do like it and also let you know that no, this is not the smell of a bad wine, it is however the smell of a rather unique wine. If you really want to pick up that Vegetable type note you must really
take your time and check deep into the wine glass because that is where it is. Let's now talk about a super nice and super deep note of an oakey, Baked Cocoa that manages rather nicely to somehow blend in with the vegetable type note and tone it way down to as I said, the way back end of the Bouquet. One last thing I must repeat to you guys is that if you choose to simply give a once over
of the wines Bouquet, you will definitely NOT pick up the vegetable note but you will pick up that medium Oakey type note
of the Baked Cocoa. I don't know about you but at this point in my review I am thinking "$4.99 huh"
Guys I to take a break for a minute and I am going to give you guys a heads up of sorts by telling you that I have to admit that I have been so busy enjoying this wine that it has taken a really long time to get to this point of the review. While it may appear that my reviews are written within an hour or so trust me, they are not, particullary this one. I will get into my wine review the process at another time but for now just know that I can be in my Loft (Office) for 3-4 hours tasting the wine and rocking out to 80s music. I know, I know, poor Desert Wine Guy :). As I said, I have been rather distracted on this review as I found myself caught up in my ultra enjoyment of this wine. Well, I am done for the moment being distracted with the wine so I
have time to tell you what I am tasting so let's get to that part of the review.
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| Cabernet Sauvignon |
Right off the bat with this wine is the note of spiced Cherry, not a sweet Cherry but rather an incredible spiced Cherry that is darkened with a super wonderful French Oak, wow.just wow. Now, I am going to say the following however I don't wish that any of my readers to take the following note for an overly sugary or sweet one. The wine seems to express a note that some (me included) might call......slightly......"Jammy" yet it is not the jamminess that we all are used to and that (in my opinion) absouletely destroys a wine. Readers, this wine is not sweet, nor is it sugary, nor is it a jam sandwich. Yes, there is just an ever so slight touch of a Jamminess note which is where any sugar on the Palate might come from BUT in no way can it be said that this an overly sweet, poorly made wine, so far at least. There is a note of Blackberry yet it doesn't dominate the Palate because of the jamminess note that appears to keep everything in this wine in it's proper perspective and in check. There is Acidity on the Palate as well that seems to encompass the entire Palate yet is not anywhere near being what I would consider offensive to the Palate or overdone. Having thrown out to you a necessary defense of the wine I hopefully also provided for the easing of your mind when hearing the word "jamminess" in relation to this wine I now without any doubt need to discuss with you guys the Cassis that his wine is proud to seriously present. I want to use just two simple words here to describe the Cassis and they are "mouth encompassing", what do you think about that? The Cassis note exhibited in this wine is just simply.......outstanding, yeah really. Not really soft on one hand yet not overpowering on the other either. In other words, simply perfection in my book. I have noticed that at least in my opinion, it seems that all of the red
wines that I have rated in the mid ninety's all seem to have that
expression of really nice or rather "aggressive" Cassis or Tannins. I have a little more to say about this in the closing paragraph. Let's discuss now a note of Ceder that somehow manages to appear in the
wine and yes, I did say Cedar. I know that the wine sat in French Oak
yet I can't see to shake the note that I am picking up of Cedar. Super
nice and super up front this note is really enjoyable. As I continue on
here lets talk about more notes that this wine proudly presents. Ripe Berries jump forward and almost seems to beg for themselves to be
noticed from the wine drinker. Here again is another darker type mood
that the wine loves to set as there is no soft brightness or lightness
in this wine, it is serious all the way from the opening all the wayto the finishing of the bottle. The wine presents as well a note of Coffee which once again adds to the the moderately dark depth of overall the wine. Folks, this is a red that is the epitome of a juicy wine yet is also on the moderately dark side yet is not overbearingly on
that dark side as the notes are not not overpowering in the
least bit. Now, what I am about to say may surprise you as much as it did me. There seems to be an elegance of sorts to this wine that appears to kind of come out of nowhere. I first noticed it when I sat back in my chair and was trying to
decipher exactly what a particular feeling the wine was presenting. I
mean yes, I certainly knew about the dark boldness of the wine yet there
was something else. What I discovered is that I was feeling a sort of sense of Elegance
that the wine was presenting and it was actually throughout its entire
presentation. Perhaps the elegance is because of the Syrah varietal that is being expressed here, I am not surebut what I am sure of is that it only adds to the wines superbly crafted presentation. Folks, keep in mind throughout this review the amazing fact that I paid
$4.99 for the wine so when I tell you now that the wine is presenting
more that I need to tell you about you will know why I am in absolute amazement. How about some Anise and earthy leather? These notes are so much more then merely, detectable, they first appear on the front Palate and extend to the mid Palate. The quality of these notes are what you would expect from aat least a $50 Cabernet Sauvignon. The Leather in particular brings a sort of toughness to the Palate that
when combined with the Cassis is........well, once again, out of this world guys. The Leather note is as comfortable on the Palate as a jacket that you have just broken out for the Winter as it feels like an old friend. I somehow get the feeling that some of the wines Palate directing notes
come from the Syrah. How can a Varietal that is a mere 12% make such an
impact on a wine?
All I can say is that perhaps it is the nature of that particular grape. I'm thinking as well that perhaps
that is where the darkness or depth of the wine comes from as well. So, the wine has all of these wonderful notes but how about some silky Tannins, can the wine have that note as well? The answer is both yes and no. While the Tannins are front and center
they are not in my humble opinion what you would say are dominate or in
need of settling down.Oh yeah, for some the Tannins (and Cassis) presented might be over the top but if you are use to enjoying
the Cabernet Sauvignon varietal wines that are in the $50 range and higher you are at home here as the
wine is happy to be what it is. Currant, and licorice. You mean there is more to the wine there Desert Wine Guy? Oh gosh, yes
there is. I believe that Black Currant is where that perfect
presentation of Jamminess might perhaps be coming from. This fruit also I believe assists in bringing the wine to expose that juiciness that it exhibits from beginning to end. As I mentioned earlier, this wine has a semi-dark presence that it just loves to present to its enjoyer. You simply can't avoid that presence because to do so would have you avoiding the entire wine, it is that nice. Let's go ahead and add one more note shall we? Before I get to the closing paragraph I need to talk about a super, really nice note of Black Pepper that this wine is proud to show off. Readers add all the other notes onto that of the Black Pepper note and
whatever good things you are imagining, that is what the wine is. Once again, nothing overdone here yet you will taste and appreciate the Black Pepper and it only adds to the greatness of this wine. Guys, I must end this review now as I seem to have spent a lot of the
time working on it as well as enjoying the wine. Mrs. Desert Wine Girl has
cooked a wonderful Dinner of smoked Chicken and I must get going. With all this being said I must move to the closing
paragraph and give my final thoughts and rating of this wine.
I know that I keep saying this but this wine present itself as more of a
wine that would normally go for $50 instead of of the $4.99 or $20 that
it would normally cost. Go the the Wine of The Month Club and buy the wine, NOW! Readers, I am not sure how they are able to sell this wine for what they are selling it for but you need to buy the wine. I am about to E-Mail them and ask them how they are doing it so hold on a second. Okay, so I really did E-Mail them and I will include their response in my final review. Guys, after drinking the entire bottle here are my recommendations. Let the wine Decant for about an hour, that's it. Although a simple recommendation the wine is certainly way much more then a simple wine. This is a full bodied red wine and one that not only demands but deserves your time and respect, it certainly has mine. This is a wine that managed to receive three spots in my wine cellar......yeah, you read that right folks, three spots as I will be entering three bottles into my collection. If you are worried about the Tannins and Cassis being too overbearing have no fear as you too can place some bottles into your Cellar as well and hold them for a few years. I know that there are those of you who have a real dislike for those two notes of Cassis and Tannins when presented in what might be considered "aggressive" levels, for those
of you I would either look elsewhere for a red or follow my suggestion and put the wine away for a few years. As for me the Cassis and Tannins are right now moderate in my opinion
and I love them as they are are. Now, did I say cellar a $4.99 wine?
Yes, I did say cellar a $4.99 wine. Folks at some sites this wine is
already unavailable at others it is indeed around $20. This is a succulent
and juicy wine that will absolutely floor you. None of the notes mentioned which the wine presents and which are
mentioned in this review are out of position on the Palate, they are
well thought out and almost wait in line for one another and for their
time to impress. Those notes are also near perfect representations of
what they are meant to be in this varietal and when crafted perfectly. There isn't any unwanted softness nor is there
any harshness to the wine. I have to just simply
get to the point here. On The Desert Wine Guy Rating I give this wine 94
points. An Absolutely spectacular wine at a absolutely spectacular price.
P.S - The Wine of The Month Club responded to my E-Mail which said " Today I receoved four (4) bottles of the 2014 Awning Estate Cabernet
Sauvignon and am in the process of writing a review on it. WHat an
outstanding wine it is. I promised my readers that I would stop the
review however in order to ask how you are able to sell this wine for
$4.99? This is an incredable wine and I will be getting more soon." The wine club said "Thank you for the kind message! That is nice that you are spreading
the word about the bottle, it is one of my favorites too. Our
cellarmaster Paul got this bottle for a really great deal with a
personal connection he has and right now we have a surplus amount of it,
so that is why it went on sale for such an amazing price! If you have
any other questions, please let me know and I can help. Have a lovely
day!" By the way I just checked and the wine has gone up to $12.48 (their normal price) which is still a great deal.Now, if I haven't already said enough, I must end this review with a big push for the Wine of The Month Club. Here (
https://desertwineguy.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-desert-wine-guy-review-of-wine-of.html)
is an article that I wrote on them a few years ago. By the way, I get
nothing in the form of compensation nor do I know anyone who works for
them.
The Desert Wine Guy
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