The Desert Wine Guy - 2016 Kenwood Vineyards "Six Ridges" - Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2016 Kenwood Vineyards "Six Ridges" - Cabernet Sauvignon

   Today I was driving around town aimlessly and relaxing (yeah I tend to do that :) when I realized that I was in the same area of town where I discovered the small Liquor store that I purchased the absolutely incredible 2014 Pine Ridge Vineyards - Cabernet Sauvignon (https://desertwineguy.blogspot.com/2019/11/2014-pine-ridge-cabernet-sauvignon.html) at. As I stated in that particular review, finding a wine from that vineyard was just nuts as I have never seen Pine ridge Vineyards wines sold anywhere other then the winery itself and yes, that includes the big box wine & spirits stores as well. Since I was so close to the store I figured I would stop in and pick up a bottle of wine for today's review. I was originally looking for a white wine (perhaps a Sauvignon Blanc) from the Pine Ridge Vineyards but that was not to be as there were none available. After doing some wandering around the store and looking at what they had to offer on the shelves I finally decided on this particular wine which is the 2016 Kenwood Vineyards "Six Ridges" - Cabernet Sauvignon (https://kenwoodvineyards.com/wines/six-ridges-series/cabernet-sauvignon-2016). Let's get into this review now guys by finding out a little about where this wine comes from.

   The grapes for this wine are from various AVA's in California such as the Dry Creek Valley AVA which has 9,000 vineyard acres and over 70 wineries, the Russian River Valley AVA which has 15,000 vineyard acres and the Alexander Valley AVA which has 15,000 vineyard Acres & 42 wineries. There are grapes as well from the Sonoma Valley as well as the Sonoma Coast. You can see that this wine is really a hodgepodge of sorts when it comes to its origins.
   Before I really get into the wine I have to make special mention of the Kenwood Vineyards website and tell you that I loved it's completeness and the overall way it was designed. The website is broken down in so many different ways and offers so much information about the winery and its different wines. The site appears to be up to date as well which is not all that common. I love the graphics used for everything and the fact that there are seven different lines of wine they create with each having its own page. These guys make so many different lines of wine including single vineyard.
   So this wine cost me $20 but sells for $35 at the winery, it is also Cork sealed thankfully. The wine comes in at an unusually high Alcohol percentage of 14.8% and is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The wine was racked twice prior to its aging in oak for 20 months. I think this is all pretty impressive beginnings for a (supposedly) little $20 wine.

   Lets get into how the bottle of this wine attempts to sell itself. One of the ways in which a wine attempts to sell itself is by its label. Guys, I have a confession to make here, I am partial to darker wine labels in general when it comes to my red wines as it seems that I find myself being almost lured to these bottles. Look at the picture above, do you see the striking appearance the bottle has? If you study the front label you will notice that there are actually two labels on the front of the bottle and I want you to see just how clean they each are in appearance, I love it. Once again here is a bottle where the fonts/scripts used as well as their colors just make this bottle come across as if it holds a fabulous and prestigious wine inside. If you have ever heard of the term "striking" before, this is what is meant by it. Here is also a wine who's back label is impressive as well. The way the information is presented along with a drawing of a map of the area is nice. I have to also say that I am impressed at the thought and energy that went into the design of all three labels.
   As I move onto the Bouquet now I want to tell you that I am getting rather big time notes of what is certainly giving the impression at least that this is going to be a rather big,bold wine. To start off with here I am picking up rather deep, smoky notes of Prune, Blackberry, Tobacco & Molasses, to a lesser extent I am getting nice oak as well. This is really a beautifully expressed Bouquet. All of the notes appear to be working together extremely well in creating a Bouquet of what appears at the moment to be a moderately black fruit/spice dominated Cabernet Sauvignon. I guess would be a good time to tell you as well that there is a good bit more then just a hint of spice that I am getting on the Nose. To me the spice note is rather deep in the Nose and while you may have to take a second to pick it up I guarantee that you will appreciate that you took that extra second to enjoy it. All of these notes are seeming to offer up the promise that there is more to come as I get to the Palate, so much more. Now, I have had a few wines in the past where their Bouquet impressed me only to end up being a wine which failed in the end, I hope this is not the case here. As I close this paragraph out, I for some reason feel strangely as if I am being lured in to reviewing a "sleeper" of a wine, a wine which has managed to have flown below the radar so to speak perhaps for reasons I will mention in the closing paragraph. I guess only time will tell.

  Let's go on ahead and actually take a look at the wine now and see if it can continue on its road towards impressing me. As I sit here and stare at the wine an almost pure Blackberry darkness seems to grip me visually as the wine sits in my glass.There is perhaps a slight hint of an ever so slight lighter Black Cherry tint or hue in places yet for the most part the wines seriousness does indeed continue here as it did on the label(s) and the Nose. Guys, one final thought here and that is I have to say that I believe I am looking a fearsome red wine to say the least. As for legs there are many and they are thin and slow dripping.
   As far as the wines Palate presentation goes folks, I guess I should tell you that prior to beginning this paragraph I have taken the liberty of sipping a bit on this wine. I have one very simply word to say.....WOW! Opening up the Palate is a pretty serious and effective black/Cinnamon spice which just never seems to quit and is expressed absouletly wonderfully throughout the entire tasting. This black/Cinnamon spice manages to follow along with the rest of the notes and presents itself with a uniquely rich depth of flavor, a presentation of a quality spice that you get only from the glass bottle of McCormick spices and not the plastic ones. If you have ever tasted the difference between the McCormick spices in the plastic bottle and their version in the glass bottle you will know what I am talking about as far as potency and quality goes. Following this up are the big time notes of Tobacco & Cigar Box (yes both) which both present a bit more then slight yet once again super effective bit of earthiness to the wine.

So far guys you are getting only a bit of what I am tasting, just wait. Here is your fair warning guys, this is a wine folks with as big a deep, dark presentation on the Palate as there is on the Nose, that's saying a lot. As I continue now there is an ominous Palate presence of a straight forward ripe Blackberry note here as well and I also must mention that there is the slightest hint of Brown Sugar which is presented by this fruit as well. Cabernet Sauvignon lovers, this expression of the varietal is deep with dark black fruit flavor and amazingly manages to pull the Palate in many different directions yet so effectively brings it all together into complete Palate focus as well. Folks, I have a feeling that this is a wine which is only beginning to show its power and its Palate presence. Now dear readers, this is not what I would consider an overly "chewy" wine but beware as it does present fairly big time Cassis that envelopes the Tongue to a good extent yet does not load it down to where it dominates or distracts from everything else the wine has to offer. Yes, at times this Cassis can present itself with a bit of chewiness of sorts but I like that in my reds and it doesnt overwhelm. This Cassis note brings a feeling to the Palate of a roughness or a slight coating onto the Tongue but again, no worries as it is a slight coating and againg is not overpowering nor does it attempt to lead the way or take dominance of the wine. Overall the Cassis simply presents itself for what it is and what it is is classic. As I sit back in my chair right now and think about what I have tasted so far, my mouth is feeling enveloped and certainly saturated with all of the amazing notes this wine obviously loves to present. I want to now tell you about some rather serious Blackcurrant folks. Blackcurrant in a serious red has the ability in my opinion to really create a huge sense of depth to a wine. This particular wine offers no exception as there certainly is a big, deep, rustic Blackcurrant note that is layed just straight up on your Palate. There is thankfully no sweetly bright or fruit forward notes to this wine as the wine is not meant for or designed for people who are looking for these things in their wine. If that is more your style I think there is a sale on Barefoot at Walmart for those of you who prefer that expression of a red wine.

Let me go ahead right now and talk about a note of Prune that lies in wait for you as I found it located around Mid-Palate. This note is also not presented in a strength to where it will not destroy or subdue any other notes that you are enjoying yet it certainly is present to the point of being able to be appreciated and enjoyed. This note comes along at just the right time so that the wine seamlessly maintains its wonderful Palate presentation and there is no dropout of the wines flavor nor its superiour complexity. The fruit of this Prune is ripe and juicy and manages thankfully to avoid any hint of undue sweetness which might hurt this wine and cause it to drop out of its current classification of superior crafting into the classification of being just simply an "okay" wine. I will admit that it is perhaps a tad bit to early to put my worries of overdone sweetness aside as the wine still has the potential to develop into something unwanted but if the wine keeps going like it is I will go as far as to say that I think it is headed to my cellar but we will see. Adding to all of this is a smoky oak type note that is perhaps presented with a bit less power then the other notes but still refuses to go unnoticed. This smoky oak note is just beautiful placed in the body of the wine. Being the very nature of oak it doesn't have to be strong to make an impact in a wine. If there are those out there who fear the "Oak Monster" is going to present himself in this wine, have no fears as that never even comes close to happening. While I am at it let me also let you know really quickly that there is also no ugly jamminess presented by this wine. To me jamminess in a wine just kills it and relegates the wine cwrtainly below 90 points almost automatically. Let's discuss Tannins, you know, that feeling of scraping a wine off of your Tongue. I already mentioned the Cassis and how it presents itself, I also hope I alleviated any fears that the wine is one which brings a cotton taste to the Palate. Here I talk about another note which could bring the threat of the same thing. Let's talk Tannins for a minute. As with the Cassis so it is with the Tannins. These Tannins are not what I would consider to be soft yet once again here is a note which only continues in adding a big sense of depth and big time fullness to the Mouth. These Tannins do build up a bit more onto the Tongue but still and all the wine holds its own very well here as well. The Tongue while coated just a bit is still left more then capable of tasting everything the wine throws at it. While you will feel the impact of these Tannins you will not be reaching for the Tongue to scrape it off :) Please also do not fear that the Tannins & Cassis together create a wine which might be considered or might be called "gripping" as they are not as neither overwhelm. Since I am talking about the Tongue it is a good time to talk about some Black cherry fruit. This Black cherry is ripe and incredably presents a bit of acidity as well. Overall the fruit is at a medium presentation on the Palate but the wine wouldn't be the same without it as that acidity just raises this wines overall presentation.  For a second now just think about that Cinnamon note again, how do you think this Black cherry tastes with it? Yummy.

  
   Okay folks, I think I have said more then enough. This is a big wine, a big, juicy, black fruit filled, aggressively sassy and Palate dominating, Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a Cab that is Old School and was created for those who know what the varietal is supposed to taste like when done correctly. This is a Cab that I would expect to pay a lot more for and come from the Rutherford AVA, it is that good. I for one do not consider this wine to be smooth in any way as it is all about being in your face. As I stated earlier, the wine cost me $20 but I'll go as far as to say that for even $100 it is literally a freaking steal. I am not really sure how or why this winery sells this wine for such an inexpensive price but I am also not going to argue about it either. The wine acts as if it has some sort of a pedigree of some kind that it has to live up to and it offers up no apologies or excuses for what it is. As I close this review out I have to say to you guys that I am shocked we have not heard anything about this wine in the so called "professional" wine reviewers. How could a wine as worthy as this stay undiscovered? Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that there is no mention of the "Napa Valley" in the wines description. Perhaps it is because the winemaker isn't as well known in the industry or perhaps it's because the winery refused to pay enough money in order to be pushed or talked about in wine magazines, I don't know.

While what I just said might be perceived by some as controversial but I say it simply is what it is. Whatever the reason, there is no excuse for this wine not to be recognized for what it is and what it is is a truly great wine. On The Desert Wine Guy rating scale I am giving this wine 94 points folks. I think that you absolutely must buy a bottle and try it as for me I am adding two bottles to the cellar to age.


                                                                                                                   The Desert Wine Guy


www.desertwineguy.blogspot.com/

www.facebook.com/DesertWineGuy?fref=nf

https://twitter.com/DesertWineGuyLV

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgCUb3w1n2S_UGU2yYRkFYQ/videos

https://www.brighteon.com/channel/thedesertwineguy

The Desert Wine Guy - Todays Thoughts - New Vineyard Update

   Folks, today I have finally had enough, enough of the big wine corporations who insist on not responding in any way to those of us who spend time reviewing their product. To me it is actually simply a matter of courtesy. I am pretty sure that I am not the only person with a wine Social Media site who feels this way. Aside from that topic, I am also going to talk a little bit as well today about the start of my new vineyard here in Citrus County, Florida. So, where do I begin? I guess I'll begin first by talking about the so called "professional" wineries/vineyards who make it a habit to not respond to their customers and fellow wine industry folks (in this case a reviewer). While I can only speak for myself here, I believe that there are many other people out there like me who spend their time for free, reviewing wine and attempting to educate others in that area and we deserve to be acknowledged. As of the writing of this blog I have 2,187 people who follow me on my Desert Wine Guy Facebook channel (https://www.facebook.com/DesertWineGuy) and perhaps you are one of those followers, if you are I certainly thank you. For a guy who dedicates a lot of time to this venture I think that is pretty good and I'm happy, it is a labor of love :) You might ask, what prompted this little essay?  The other day I completed my review of the 2016 Joseph Carr - Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford (https://desertwineguy.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-desert-wine-guy-2016-joseph-carr.html). I absolutely loved the wine and felt it earned a 95 point rating. I sent the review to the media rep for Deutsch Family Wine And Spirits and....Crickets, no reply. Now keep in mind that I got the wine directly from this rep because of an inexcusable fault in their Cork on a bottle. I ask you guys, don't you think that I should get a response? I don't know guys, I believe that if you are selling a product you need to be communicating or acknowledging your customer base especially if you are a media rep, that's all. I don't like companies in general which feel they are so high and mighty that they no longer need the consumer in order to remain at the top of their game or even in the game. Guess what, you do need the consumer and the people who (when warranted) push your product. If the lack of response was limited to that one particular winery then I could perhaps excuse it away as an isolated occurrence but it is not, it seems to be a systematic problem. I have had this same problem with Peju and a few other big wineries as well.
When I spend my money on wine whether it be $10 or $100 and also take the time out of my day to write a review and send it to you as a representative of a wine company, I expect you to at least acknowledge me. I never ask for anything other then the winery keep me in mind the next time they send out wine for reviews. I don't think that is too much to ask but perhaps I am wrong here and if I am please do tell me. In closing I will leave you with this. There is no such thing as "too big to fail"

   Okay, I feel better now. It is time to talk about the latest news concerning the new vineyard I will be planting here in Citrus County, Florida. Today I broke ground on that particular vineyard as I put in five poles to begin my rows of grape vines and in time I will be at the stage of planting the vines, I will keep you updated. Speaking of planting the vines, there is a big problem that Florida has when it comes to growing the wine grapes that we are use to enjoying. The species from which most wines we enjoy are made from is known as Vitis Vinifera. It seems unfortunately that Florida and a few other states near Florida are hotbeds for a disease known as Peirce's Disease which restricts the vines water usage and eventually kills the fruit and the plant. Another problem with grapes and plants in general here is Fungal infections. I have found from doing my own my own research that attempting to grow Vitis Vinifera is a losing battle and one that is simply not worth fighting. Now, that doesn't mean that there are not grapes to grow here as the Muscadine Grape seems to absolutely thrive here in Florida. I am not a lover however of the Muscadine vine itself and I am also looking to an extent to push the envelope. After doing my research I discovered that there are grapes which are considered Pierce Disease resistant as well as being resistant to Fungal infections as well. One of those grapes and the one I will be planting is the Black Spanish Grape also known as Lenoir. So far I have only gone five rows wide so as to keep costs down in case these grapes fail to thrive for some reason. I put a spacing of five feet between these rows as I expect these vines to grow vigorously and expand out. As for spacing between vines themselves I am looking at 5 feet between each one as well. I am happy that I still have a good chance at growing wine grapes because it is a passion of mine and also keeps me outside in the fresh air moving and exercising. I have also learned one other bit of information that I am very excited about and that is I will be opening up a whole new world in the cultivation of grapes here in Florida as the only vineyards (?) which are currently in existence here grow Blueberries. Yeah, I know guys, terrible huh? Let me give you a little background on the the Lenoir Grape. It seems that the Lenoir varietal was an accidental crossing of both the Vitis Berlandieri and Vitis Aestivalis species.The wine is currently grown mostly in Texas where it is used as a blend for Port wine or it is blended with Ruby Cabernet to make red table wine.

   Well guys. that is all I have to say today. It is now almost 6 PM here and the temperature outside where I am writing this has dropped to 59 Degrees so it is indeed time to head inside until tomorrow when I will hopefully make some more headway on the vineyard. Than you guys for listening to me complain and I hope you enjoyed the news on the vineyard as well. 

                                                                                                                  The Desert Wine Guy

www.desertwineguy.blogspot.com/

www.facebook.com/DesertWineGuy?fref=nf

https://twitter.com/DesertWineGuyLV

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgCUb3w1n2S_UGU2yYRkFYQ/videos

https://www.brighteon.com/channel/thedesertwineguy

The Desert WIne Guy - 2016 Joseph Carr Cabernet Sauvignon - Rutherford, Napa Valley

  Hello everyone and welcome once again to The Desert Wine Guy wine blog. Today I will be reviewing the 2016 Joseph Carr, Cabernet Sauvignon - Rutherford, Napa Valley. Before I begin with this review however, there is a small story I would like to tell concerning how I came to be in possession of this wine and one which started off due to an unfortunate incident. On November 27th I attempted to do a review of the 2015 Joseph Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (https://desertwineguy.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-desert-wine-guy-2015-josh-cabernet.html) but unfortunetly when I went to remove the Cork I discovered that the end of it looked as if it were cut or was starting to separate almost as if the cork were created in layers. I decided to review the wine anyway hoping that it wasn't ruined or that any particles had made their way into the wine itself. Taking the wine to my Loft to begin the review and as I poured the first glass I noticed small particles of the Cork were indeed clearly visible. Fortunately there was not too much and they thankfully were not present in the second pour. I was rather disappointed to be honest yet completed the review but afterward decided that it indeed bothered me enough to where I had to E-mail the winery. I sent the E-Mail along with photos of the Cork and particles in my glass to Mrs. Karen Brennan on November 27th. Mrs. Brennan is in charge of media inquiries at Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits http://www.deutschfamily.com/the-deutsch-family-our-brands/) which is a Wine & Spirits importer and distributes both the Joseph Carr line of wines as well as the Josh Cellars line as well. On December 5th Mrs. Brennan responded back with a heartfelt apology and an offer to replace the wine with two other bottles as well as an invitation to pick what I wished from their Website. On December 13th I received the wines but due to work had to wait until the 15th in order to perform this review. As I opened the box I noticed that there were two bottles of the 2016 Joseph Carr Cabernet Sauvignon - Rutherford, Napa Valley as well as two bottles of the 2016 Joseph Carr Napa Valley, thank you again Karen. Well, now it is review time so let's get to it.

Joseph carr

   Let me fiirst discuss a little bit about this wine. The wine was aged in 100% French oak, 60% new, for 18 months and all of the grapes for this wine are sourced from the Rutherford AVA of the Napa Valley. From what I have researched, the wine appears to be 100% Cabernet Sauvignon as well. The Alcohol level in this wine is rather high as it is at 15.9% and the wine sells for around $40. One last note concerning the Alcohol percentage. I did pick up a bit of Alcohol when I initially tasted the wine but it wasn't something that I found distasteful and it seemed to disappear for good after a short time of the bottle being opened.
   Let's move on to the label of the wine as I must tell you that I was rather impressed with it. Here once again is another wine (or bottle) worthy of mention as far as the labels appearance goes. I remember removing these bottles from the shipping carton and thinking "wow, these look super sharp". I'm now in my Loft and am still thinking the exact same thing, wow, this bottle looks visually very impressive. The label certainly strikes me as classy, serious and appears to at least try to convince the consumer (in this case me) that it holds a prestigious, well crafted and expressive wine. Here is also a wine label where I must point out to you the Fonts used and their placement. I have to also point out to you as well the placement of the words themselves on the label, all in all the total package is striking and a class act. Let's see now how this wine itself shapes up in the visual presentation department now.

   Super Cab! What does that mean there Desert Wine Guy? What that means is that after having looked at the wine in my glass it sure is coming across as if it also takes itself VERY seriously and is asking.... no, demanding that you to take it VERY seriously as well. What does very seriously look like? A deep Garnet liquid is what I see staring back up at me from within the glass. You can forget about the bottom of the glass as it might as well no longer exist because you certainly can't see it. This is perhaps the darkest red wine that I have both observed and reviewed in quite some time. Totally consistent in it's striking color from the edge to the center, this wine is continuing the pattern of what I am calling a "Super Cab". As far as the legs (Gibbs-Marangoni Effect) while they are not thick they are numerous and they just line up on the sides of my glass. I have to tell you guys that I have never seen this type of wonderful overall complete visual presentation in a wine before. I must move on now to the actual tasting of this wine because I must know if this wine can continue its impressive presentation unto the Palate. I certainly hope it can.
  Well we are here Cabernet Sauvignon fans and I don't know about you but I am just dying to know how this wine tastes. The first item of interest that I want to tell you is the fact that the wine is indeed incredibly juicy and at the same time, has an awesome, (thankfully) non fruit forward, non sweet........plushness to it. This is not the new age expression of the Cabernet Sauvignon varietal, this wine is Old School all the way. Next up I must tell you of the note of SUPER lush Blackcurrant, wow! Up front and prominent yet certainly not in any way overpowering. This Blackcurrant seems to be almost the backbone of this wine and everything else manages to so wonderfullyand  nicely ride on it that is certainly totally fine with me. The Blackcurrant presents an earthiness here as well which is unmistakable luxurious. Now we should discuss the note of Blackberry. This is not the same Blackberry note which we have all experienced in red wines which brings along tons of sweetness and tries to overpower or dominate everything in its path, no way.

This Blackberry note is presenting itself to the utmost level of superior flavor and unsweet ripeness. The note also works together with the other notes which this wine exhibits. Now, keep in mind that this is most assuredly because the Blackberry knows it's rightful place among the other notes. When you taste this wine (and you MUST) you will know right away what I am talking about and why this note is also so very important to the overall greatness of the wine. The Blackberry note coats the Palate and doesn't leave it, it is as if the note latches onto that fabulous Blackcurrant and just doesn't let go. I think that another ultra strong plus for this wine is that this wine exhibits an incredible note of  that “Rutherford Dust” that many so called soil experts claim does not exist. Let me tell you guys something, if you have ever tasted a wine made from red grapes grown in the Rutherford AVA (especially this one), you already know without me having to tell you that it does indeed exist and this wine is proof. Moving on now I want to talk about the Tobacco note that appears almost immediately on the Palate and amazingly continues through till the Finish. This note just presents a feeling on the overall Palate of longevity and just incredible mouth feel as well as a Palate  fullness as well. As with all the other notes there is no slacking off of this note as it carries itself throughout the wine. Want to know some more? I will tell you that there is the most incredible note of Smoke that I have ever tasted. Yes, you read that correctly.

The note is right up there with the other amazing notes and as with those others it is not anywhere near being overdone or dominating.  Do you wish to talk about a balanced Finish? Readers, I really can't say enough about the Finish on this wine just massive and bursting with flavor. There is no fall off or notes that disapoint. Around Mid-Palate the wine exposes an underbelly of Tannins that present again a plushness of sorts with a wonderful overall Tongue/Palate sensation. I don't believe that I have ever used the word "plushness" to describe a wine prior to this review but it is truly an appropriate time to use it as it. Continuing along here is a note of some Leather. Here is a note which is again not overdone but brings a strong sort or "sense" rather then a taste to the wine although please don't get me wrong here as there is certainly a bit on the taste end as well. This leather note is simply at a perfect presentation level and I think you will appreciate it. Go ahead, ask me if there is any Acidity. Thanks for asking as there is and it appears on the front end and lingers until Mid-Palate or perhaps just slightly after. the Acidity is what I would consider to be "firm" yet it is not harsh. There are no notes in this wine that I would not consider to be either at or near to being a top tier presentation in my opinion. Now, do ya love a Clove note in your Cabs? I hope so as it is on the opening of this wine and is one of many notes which aid in carrying the Palate all the way through to the Finish.

So the wine soaks in 100% French oak, 60% new, for 18 months huh? Does this make any impact on the wine? Folks, you betcha it does, a big one. French Oak presentation is super smooth on one hand yet super flavourful on the other, the French Oak is presented well and is able to intermingle to assist in the creation of a delicious level. Here once again is another note that presents itself on the opening and continues strong all the way to the Finish.
  So, I think I have talked enough here and so it is time to wrap this review up. This wine was a delight to drink. Whether you are sitting around by the fireplace this Winter or enjoying a special occasion, this wine demonstrates why the Cabernet Sauvignon when done correctly is indeed the King of red grapes. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this wine was selling at the winery for only $40 and I have to say that it is worth every penny. On The Desert Wine Guy Rating Scale I give this wine 95 points. An incredible, truly delicious and enjoyable wine.
   Before I go I must comment on one last item. Yes, as I said earlier I did receive this wine for free but remember that I do not depend on this blog for a Penny so what I am telling you is indeed my real feelings no matter who makes a wine or how I get the wine. By the way, excellent Customer Service as well.

The Desert Wine Guy

www.desertwineguy.blogspot.com/

www.facebook.com/DesertWineGuy?fref=nf

https://twitter.com/DesertWineGuyLV

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgCUb3w1n2S_UGU2yYRkFYQ/videos

https://www.brighteon.com/channel/thedesertwineguy

The Desert Wine Guy - 2014 Pine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon

  As a great New York Yankee was so fond of saying, "holy cow!". Guys, please forgive me as I pause for a second to take this wine all in as right now all I have to say is indeed, "holy Cow". Okay, so I'm back now but please indulge me for a second as I give you a brief description of my surroundings as I begin my review of this wine, after all wine is about having a good time.  As many of you already know, my family and I just recently moved from Las Vegas to Florida. In my old home in Vegas I had a wonderful Loft where I would do my wine reviews and I will miss it as that was where The Desert Wine Guy got his start. Well with this move there is no longer a Loft to use as my office but there is a .......movie theatre instead. Yes, I said a movie theatre. I am talking the screen, the curtains, the chairs and the sound system as well. What makes this review even more "holy cow' is that I am watching The Cure on the big screen AND I have the privilege of reviewing the 2014 Pine Ridge, Cabernet Sauvignon (https://www.pineridgevineyards.com/wines/appellation-collection/napa-valley-cabernet-sauvignon/) as well. Yes, the theatre is incredible. Yes, The Cure rocks on their new 2 - Blu-Ray anniversary set but the real news here is certainly the wine. Let me go ahead and get into this review now by telling you how I first discovered the Pine Ridge Vineyards & Winery and then discussing how I came across this particular bottle.

  Around 6 months ago Mrs. Desert Wine Girl and I took a trip to the Napa Valley and our first stop was a winery that I had never heard of before, that winery is Pine Ridge. The tasting fee there is $50 but if you buy two bottles that is wiped out. I have to tell you that after tasting their wine I did indeed buy two bottles and therefore paid no Tasting Fee. So I am here in Florida now and the other day my Wife was getting her nails done so I decided to take a walk around the Shopping Center and I happened to come across a small liquor Store. I honestly wasn't expecting to find anything special there so I was really floored when I saw this wine on the shelf let alone the price at $55. Now I am talking about a small liquor store in a small city, where do they come off carrying this wine? I have been to a few mega wine stores that almost rival a Walmart but I have never found anything from Pine Ridge Vineyards for sale. When I saw this wine on the shelve I grabbed a bottle and after paying for it I almost fled from the store for fear of the guy behind the counter saying it was a mistake and never should have hit the shelves. Now, here I am, reviewing the wine.

  The Pine Ridge Vineyards was started in 1978 by Gary & Nancy Andrus. At that time the Vineyard was only Fifty Acres and was located in the Stags Leap District of the Napa Valley. As of this date the winery owns five different Estate Vineyards with one being of course in the Stags Leap District AVA and the other four being in Howell Mountain, Oakville, Rutherford, & Carneros AVA's. The total Acres has also jumped to 160. This particular wine I am reviewing is made from a combination of Estate Vineyard sites throughout the Napa Valley Stags Leap District as well as the Oakville & Rutherford AVA's. All of these AVA's are simply top notch so there should be no surprise that this wine rates incredibly high in the end.
  The wine comes in at a higher then normal 14.7% Alcohol and is of course Cork sealed. The wine also sat in 40% new American Oak for 17 months before being placed in the bottle. This wine is also a small blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc & 2% Merlot. The wine sells for $65 at the winery. For those of you whom are interested, here (https://www.pineridgevineyards.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/CSN-14.pdf) is the Winemakers Notes on the wine.
  On the Pour this wine was just amazingly ultra beautiful and simply fascinating to look at as it proudly presented itself as an ultra serious, dark Burgundy which was consistent throughout the glass with perhaps just an ever so slight lighter shade Burgundy on the very edges. As I continue to pour the wine and check out my glass I will tell you that simply massive amounts of ultra thin legs are cascading down the sides of my wine glass. I have never seen a wine put on such an awesome visual display such as this wine is putting on right now. When using a piece of white paper held beneath the wine you can simply forget about seeing any writing which might be on that piece of paper because it isn't happening guys. Looking straight down the middle of the glass I get confirmation that without a doubt, this wine is ultra amazing in color presentation as well as its appearance of seriousness, WOW!

  Moving now to the Bouquet of the wine I want to tell you that a straight up, in your face note of Baking Cocoa just envelopes and assaults the Nose. While this note is indeed very up front and powerful it amazingly manages to leave room for everything else the wines Bouquet has to offer. How about a serious Caramel note which is so wonderfully interweaved with that Baking Cocoa and the next note, one of Blackberry that is super well placed. Oh....my....goodness folks, the Bouquet of this wine simply rocks without any doubt. This has got to be the most beautiful red wine Bouquet that I have ever enjoyed to this date, flat out. Topping off the Nose presentation is two big notes, one of Boysenberry and the other of Cinnamon. Both of these notes are presented beautifully as well.In total I am in awe at how amazing this wine is showing itself off.
  Now we get to the Palate presentation of this wine. Now of course you know that I couldn't wait and have already tasted this wine (a few times) and I must begin with the fact that the massive note of Baking Cocoa that the wine presented on the Nose translates right on over to the Palate and is presented here just as strikingly as it was on the Nose. This note is interweaved with a nice serious depth of Chocolate and both together are creating an absolutely fabulous initial Palate presentation. A pretty serious Black Pepper follows these notes up super quickly and my Palate is being overwhelmed in a good way with just massive & intense flavor. Here comes the dark fruit as mouthwatering and juicy ripe Blackberry and tar notes also jump out at me and attempt to envelop the entire Palate. This Blackberry & Tar and also bring with them a big, bold mouth feel. A deep note of that Boysenberry that I picked up on the Nose translates on over to the Palate as well. This Boysenberry is not shy but does not look to overwhelm the Palate as it presents a good bit of flavor and intensity yet understands its place in the wine. The wine has more so don't think that I am done just yet folks. I have to mention that the wine also presents a note of Clove which appears just after the Opening on the Palate but prior to what I would consider to be Mid-Palate. This Clove doesn't allow for any down time between the Baking Cocoa, the Chocolate and the vibrant Black Pepper.  The Palate presentation seamlessly flows from one note right into the other without any pause in between. This wine folks is big, juicy and massive and that is no exaggeration. Now, what would a serious Cabernet Sauvignon be without at least some nice tannins? Well folks let me answer that for you, it would be nothing. This wine has Tannins, pretty serious Tannins at that and they are not looking to play any games here. These serious Tannins only add to the Palate presentation and awesomeness of the wine and to my (and your) enjoyment of it. Now of course there will be many who say that the wine is obviously not ready to be enjoyed as the Tannins are still fairly straight up in your face but I say to those people, put yours away, I'm enjoying mine right now. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that there is a big earthy note on the palate to go along with everything else the wine is presenting and it is where that legendary "Rutherford Dust" comes into play. There is also some of that American Oak present but it really is more on the Finish of the wine and really doesn't make too much of an impact yet does squeak out just enough to be noted. Allow me to go ahead and throw in a big time note of dried herb now and you've got a great idea of exactly of what I am tasting here. Let me go ahead and wrap up this review now because I have to sit back and enjoy the rest of the bottle and The Cure of course.

  As I get into the wrap up I must issue a warning. This is an incredible Old School Cabernet Sauvignon. This is not the Millennial (grape) juice that is being largely produced today and passed along as Cabernet Sauvignon to the less Vino educated consumer. This is an extremely concentrated & very serious wine and one not for the weak of heart or those who believe that a Cabernet Sauvignon should be sweet or fruit forward as it is neither of these. If that type of a Cabernet Sauvignon is more your speed there is a bottle of Two Buck Chuck waiting for you in Walmart and I strongly suggest you develop your Palate. No guys, this is a real Cab and one meant only for real Cab lovers. On The Desert Wine Guy rating scale I must rate this wine at 96 points. This is a super fantastic wine, an incredible wine and one also capable as well as worthy of being stored for many years in your cellar. I highly recommend you run out and buy at least three bottles of this wine and enjoy one right now.

                                                                                                                  The Desert Wine Guy



www.desertwineguy.blogspot.com/

www.facebook.com/DesertWineGuy?fref=nf

https://twitter.com/DesertWineGuyLV

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgCUb3w1n2S_UGU2yYRkFYQ/videos

https://www.brighteon.com/channel/thedesertwineguy

The Desert Wine Guy - 2015 Charleston Peak Chardonnay

2015 Charleston Peak Chardonnay

   For today's wine review I decided to stay rather close to home. About an hour+- from Las Vegas is the little (but growing) city of Pahrump, Nevada. Pahrump has the same climate as Las Vegas which is very dry and very hot. They also have the same type of soil which is loamy/sandy & rocky. You can probably guess that Pahrump is also a Desert. There are two different Wineries located in the City of Pahrump with one being the Sanders Family Winery (http://sanderswinery.com/) which is owned by Jack Sanders and the other being the Pahrump Valley Winery (http://www.pahrumpwinery.com/) being owned by the Husband and Wife team of Bill & Gretchen Loken. This winery is also where our review wine comes from. Judging from their website the grapes for this wine are grown at Queensland Vineyard (http://queenslandvineyardbnb.com/) which is located in Dyer (Northern), Nevada. Now that we know a little about where the wine comes from, let's move to the review and talk for a second about the label on this Southern Nevada wine.

Gretchen Loken In The Pahrump Valley Vineyard

   The bottle labeling is very clean and presented the wine nicely. The Mountain on the label represents Charleston Peak here in Nevada, hence the wines name. I like the colors used on the label as they go very nicely with the color of the wine as presented sitting in the bottle. Let's check out the Bouquet of this wine now.
   The Bouquet is rather fruit forward and possess just a hint of Butter on the nose. Notes of Honeysuckle, Jasmine and Oak are really dominating here. I am getting a rather large sense that this is going to be a rather sweet Chardonnay.
  On the Palate now I unfortunately must begin with the fact hat there is a rather forward buttery note which is certainly caused by Malolactic (secondary) Fermentation. This buttery note is really rather strong and therefore noticeable. The note is more than just a bit over the top in my opinion. That note of Honeysuckle that I mentioned on the Bouquet is also very apparent and is on the back end of the Palate and also of course, not shy by any means. The wine also mixes in a note of sweet Pear that presents itself as almost overly ripe and somewhat sugary yet still in all helps to create a decent Palate feel. Speaking of notes which also transfer over, let's continue now with the note of Jasmine that also meshes decently with the other notes which I have so far picked up on the palate. There is a problem here however as this Jasmine note is very strong and helps to push this wine towards being over the top unfortunately in the sweetness area in my book. A note of super sour Apple comes forward in an underlying yet not strong note which also brings a change (or deviation) from the overall sweetness that seems to be starting to dominate this wine. There is the slightest bit of Acidity present in the wine that might at first go unnoticed unless careful attention to the wine is paid but certainly nothing to make a change in the direction in which the wine is unfortunately headed. So there you have it folks. Yes, this is a rather short review but there really is not much to talk about here. It is time now to move to my final notes on this review so let's go right ahead and do that.

Pahrump Valley Winery

   This wine truly express the fact and without any reservation that it is truly a hot weather Chardonnay. Over the top, tropical notes galore are exposed to the Palate. An over the top Butterness is also evidenced by the wine and can probably be blamed on the the fact that it was aged aged for five (5) months in Oak, unchecked. I can tell you for sure that there is no doubt that the wine was aged in Oak as it is unfortunately very evident. Also very evident is that the wine is over the top in it's sweet notes. Overpowering Honeysuckle & Jasmine truly dominate this wine in abundance.
   Let's go ahead and put this all together now.. Is the wine a bad wine? In my opinion, it is. Are the grapes grown in a hot climate? They sure do appear to be. To me this is not a well made Chardonnay. Does this Chardonnay hold in any way to it's varietal characteristics? The answer is no. Will the average Chardonnay lover enjoy this wine? That all depends upon their taste preference and their knowledge of what the varietal is supposed to taste like. I can put a Wine Cooler into this bottle and I can enjoy the wine as I enjoy a good Wine Cooler once in a while but that doesn't make it a decent or good Chardonnay. Did I enjoy the wine? That answer is no. I do not like the overly sweet components in the wine. This is a white wine that carries some characteristics also of being syrupy sweet. At first, the wine was just bearable but shortly after taking a few sips it exhibited the fact that it is clearly over the top in it's sugary notes. I was initially going to give this wine 85 points which is not good but I am going to have to change that to and even lower 83 points which is pretty bad. This can be a good pool wine for the hot Summer months so don't completely discount it but as far as a Chardonnay goes, yeah, not. Before I go I want to say something about the Pahrump Valley Winery. I have had some very good wines form the Winery in the past but like even the best Winemakers, at times even they create wines that just simply do not seem to work. Keep this in mind if you have an opportunity to visit the Winery.

                                                                                                                The Desert Wine Guy

www.desertwineguy.blogspot.com/

www.facebook.com/DesertWineGuy?fref=nf

https://twitter.com/DesertWineGuyLV

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgCUb3w1n2S_UGU2yYRkFYQ/videos

https://www.brighteon.com/channel/thedesertwineguy

The Desert Wine Guy - 2018 Yali, Wild Swan - Sauvignon Blanc

   The other day I came to my Loft in order to do a review on the 2016 Le Charmel - Sauvignon Blanc from Chile. That plan quickly changed as the wine was so bad that I was only able to take a couple of sips before I had no choice but to dump the rest of the bottle down the drain. The next day I contacted the Wine of The Month Club (https://www.wineofthemonthclub.com/) which is where I bought the wine from and let them know that I had bought two bottles of the wine and exactly how I felt about it. The employee on the other end appeared very understanding and asked me if I wished to receive a credit for the two bottles or if I wished to pick two other bottles of a different wine instead. I informed her of my preference for two other wines and I let her know that I actually wanted her to choose them, I only asked that they be either Cabernet Sauvignon or Sauvignon Blanc. Around three days later I received a box in the mail from them containing one bottle of each varietal. Today I am reviewing one of those bottles which is the 2018 Yali Sauvignon Blanc from Chile. I am excited to see what this wine has to offer so let's begin.

   First up I want to talk about the label of our wine. I thought the front label was very appropriate considering this is a white wine, it was bright and lively and had a Swan on it as well. The back label describes this wine the following way "The wines are friendly, fresh and vibrant.....". To me this is letting me know that the wine is also not meant to cost a lot and that it is an everyday white wine. That being said, I think the label(s) was very fitting as it is a Summer friendly wine, was well thought out and appeared to be taking itself while not too seriously.
   Let's talk just a little about the winery now. Yali winery (http://www.yali.cl/en/#vinos) is actually part of Vina Ventisquero (http://www.vinaventisquero.com/en/nosotros/) and is the first winery to obtain the ‘Certified Sustainable Wine of Chile’ accreditation for 100% of its vineyards. The Winemaker for Yali wines is Sergio Hormazábal who is also President of the Chilean Winemakers Association. The wine comes in at 12.5% and cost me $10.
   Let's get to the Bouquet of our wine and see whats going on here. First up is a note of Nectarine and Gooseberry, Both of these notes are very nice and come across moderately fruity on the nose. A Green Pepper note comes out on the nose as well. There seems to be a promised hint of Palate sweetness that I believe comes from a Bouquet note of Pear. Last yet not least is a note of Lychee. All in all this is a wonderful Bouquet that would fool you into believing that the wine is from a hotter part of California as it is exposing a wonderfully tropical and fruit forward Bouquet. Last but not least is the fact that I really love this Bouquet.

   Moving to the taste of the wine wine on the Palate I wish to tell you that I did detect a bit of Carbonation on the Tongue. Now, this is nothing that will have you thinking that you are drinking a Wine Cooler or a "Spritzer" (hello Mom) but in my opinion it is noticeable. The good thing is that the Carbonation seemed to disappear after a short time and I am certainly glad that it did as I do not care for it in my real wine but I will accept it in something like a Bartel's & James Wine Cooler where I happen to enjoy it. Gooseberry is pretty up front and definitely obvious on the opening, it also sticks around on the Palate till the Finish. Peach, Nectarine and Pear, all three combine together for a pretty wonderful presentation. To me the Pear note comes first and brings a nice bit of that Pear sugar with it. The Peach brings a sort of semi brightness to the wine and the Nectarine brings a hair bit of tartness to the wine. A flowery type note comes shinning through here as well as the wine warms up a bit. How about a fresh Honeysuckle type note as well that shines through and is at the perfect sweetness level, not too sweet and certainly not too bland, just right. A note of Honeydew Melon jumps out as a sort of "Carrier Wave" and for those of you involved in radio you will understand what I mean. For those of you who are not involved in radio, I will explain it like this.

The Honeydew (Carrier Wave) is sort of like a base that everything else (the notes) rides on. All of the above mentioned notes are super smooth and without any sugar peaks to them. You taste the fruit and a sufficient amount of sweetness, no doubt but it is after all a hot weather Sauvignon Blanc. Never does the tropicalness level in this wine exceed my threshold or appear to even come close in any way to being too much. Folks, I must end this review now as it is late in the Evening. It is funny how this review went from opening up about talking about a wine that I hope you never got a chance ( 2016 Le Charmel - Sauvignon Blanc) to taste to one that I hope you do get a chance to taste. Let's get to the closing chapter where I put it all together for you. 
   Okay folks, can we talk? Here is the final deal with this wine. I originally drank this wine really cold and I was going to rate it at 85 points (not good) but as the wine warmed up slightly it developed into a pretty decent wine and I found myself actually beginning to enjoy it. I highly recommend that you do not drink this wine while it is to cold, you will thank me. I actually had this wine in the Freezer to quickly chill for around an hour and a half and when I tasted it, I did not like it as I thought the wine was flat and tasteless, I was highly disappointed. The wine sat on the tasting table as I periodically sipped on it and I soon started to notice the wine opening and beginning to develop rather nicely.  As the wine warmed up just a bit

a nice fruit profile began to develop. This wine once it opened and developed was never too sweet and never too bland. That Gooseberry that was strong right away, softened nicely and managed to live together in peace with the other notes. What a difference waiting a short time makes folks. my recommendation is to chill the wine in the Freezer if you are in a hurry to chill it as I was for no longer then  an hour and not any longer, you will enjoy the wine and you will believe that you are drinking a California, hot weather expression expression of the Varietal. So, check this out guys. Originally as I said I was going to rate this wine at 85 points which meant a wine that is very simply not worth mentioning in my book or in other words, a wine that needs to be relegated to the dumpster. A wine that I would never consider to be a serious expression of even a decent wine. After the wine developed and opened my rating changed drastically to 89 points which is "a wine that stands out above the average wine. A wine that while not exceptional is near varietal correct and has indeed made its mark on my Palate as well as my memory". Now that, is a huge change. This is a wine that went from one that I would tell you to stay away from to a wine that is now one that I would say to go buy and enjoy.

                                                                                                                   The Desert Wine Guy

 www.desertwineguy.blogspot.com/

www.facebook.com/DesertWineGuy?fref=nf

https://twitter.com/DesertWineGuyLV

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgCUb3w1n2S_UGU2yYRkFYQ/videos

https://www.brighteon.com/channel/thedesertwineguy

The Desert Wine Guy - 2016 Louis .M. Martini, Cabernet Sauvignon - Sonoma County

   The other day I was in the Airport here in Las Vegas awaiting the boarding for my flight to Florida (what's up with that) when I suddenly realized that I was hungry. Since I had about an hour and a half to kill before the flight boarded I thought that I would grab a quick bite to eat. I decided I would eat at the Las Vegas Chophouse & Brewery located in the Airport and since I was by myself and had no kids with me, I also very happily sat down at the Bar. After reviewing their Menu I decided on the Crab Croquette which itself was just incredable but what made this an even more delightfull meal was the glass (or possibly two) that I had of the 2016 Louis .M. Martini - Cabernet Sauvignon that I chose to go along with it. Now hold on a minute there DWG, did you say that you had a red wine with Crab? Yes, I most assuredly did say that, and you know what, it was FANTASTIC. Being straight with you guys as always, I didn't really expect much from this wine. I guess I fell into the trap of judging a wine by its price tag.

My expectations of the wine changed however when I took my first taste of the wine, it was also at that point that I also decided you guys needed to know about this wine which of course was going to be accomplished by me reviewing it for you. One last thing here. The stares that I received while sitting in an Airport restaurant while judging both the visual and Bouquet presentation of the wine were amazing by the way. Anyway, it's been a few weeks and here I am, back from Florida and sitting in my Loft with a bottle of that particular wine so let's get into this review.

   This is a wine that is fairly common as I seem to see it everywhere wine is sold and for a very reasonable price as well. Speaking of price, the wine cost me $13 but does sell for $20 at the winery. The wine is also of course Cork sealed and comes in at a moderate 14.5% Alcohol as well. The grapes for this wine come from the Frei Ranch vineyards in the Dry Creek Vally AVA (Sonoma County) as well as the Barrelli Creek Vineyard in the Alexander Valley. The wine is a blend of  Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Merlot with unspecified percentages of each varietal and also sat for 16 months in French & American Oak.

   As for the label now guys I think that while it is obviously nothing flashy, it does present a certain element of clean simplicity to it. While it is on the plain side it is not too plain where it is what I would consider to be bland. I thnk the words are well placed and the Fonts were fairly decent as well. Overall a very simple label one hand yet on the other it does the job and I'm comfortable with that.

   Let's now go ahead and actually look at the wine. You know that while looks aren't everything (lucky for me) they can form an impression(s) on others, in this case the wine consumer. These impressions might carry on to their overall view of a wine or a product in general as well. Holding the wine glass up to direct Sunlight I will tell you that the wine is exposing itself an absouletly wonderfull Burgundy in color. If I were a betting man I would bet that the wine also probably looks as dark as the day it was bottled. What a wonderful & impressive visual presentation this wine is showing putting on display. Legs, legs on this wine were numerous, fairly thick and ran quickly down the sides of my wine glass. At times the wine also seemed to almost coat the glass, almost like a light oil.

   So now we discuss very briefly the Bouquet of this wine. Yeah, what's up with the Bouquet of the wine there DWG? Well red wine lovers, let me tell you about what's up with the Bouquet. I'll start off with the fact that the wine exposes a very nice inital yet moderate oak note on the nose. Along with this oak came some light Black Cherry which is also in the mix here and is so very welcomed as it fit perfectly here. The Bouquet simply screams of a wine that is going to be wrought with complexity and overall development if ever one could. A good note of Cocoa and smoke is certainly exposed as the wine opens up to it's implied greatness.

   We move now onto the wines Palate presentation. Straight up I will tell you that at a half an hour into the wine being opened and my initial tasting of it, this wine is showing that it is on its way to demonstrating it is very serious concerning its presentation. Now, whether or not the wine will develop into a fruit bomb or not is unknown as I guess that remains to be seen but with inexpensive reds it is unfortunetly a common fault that crops up. Some forward Black Plum comes lunging out at you here on the initial Palate presentation but is subdued to an ever so slight extent by a note of the very same oak which I picked up on the Nose. In perfect tune with that oak and Black Plum is a note of almost ripe Black cherry. Real quickly here I want to tell you that this is a juicy wine on the Palate and your Mouth fills with robust & ripe red fruits, amazing. The fruit notes are very concentrated which also assists in making for an "Old World" type expression which you guys know I prefer in my reds. Now I did say the wine was of the "Old School" type expression right? Keep this in mind as I mention that there is a slight bit of fruit forwardness to it but that doesn't mean that this bit even has thoughts of dominance or even to makes the attempt at trying to steer this wine towards a Generation X type wine because it does not.

I am in actuality talking about a presentation which adds just a hair bit of softness and sugar that is mostly noticed at Mid-Palate and is from 1 - 10, a 2.5. I know that I mentioned oak earlier but I need to expound on that for a minute. This oak is at a level where it is just enough to make a slight yet defenitly positive impact on the Palate. That slight, positive impact is however just perfect as it does not even come close to dominating here, this is not an oakey wine. The oak is simply.....perfect. Let me go ahead and throw in a serious Leather note which is present just after the opening notes here guys and brings along with it lovely Tannins. Speaking of Tannins, the wine does have some nice yet not exactly subtle Tannins folks so be ready for that. As I already said, this is an "Old World" style Cabernet Sauvignon to a massive extent so be warned. A Black Pepper note is present here as well and it is evident as well but not overpowering. Ripe Blackberry guys, do you wnat that as well? Well if you do, you are in luck. Ripe Blackberries just thrusts forward on the Palate and I think plays a big part bringing out that bit of fruit forwardness as well that I mentioned earlier. Black Currants are massive here guys and helps this wine to create a sense of big money being spent on it. Acidity is well balanced and is not an issue here if you are sensitive or dislike that particular note although there is some present. The wine also exhibits a taste of Brown Sugar which works in coordination with any fruit forwardness the wine presents. Have no worries here guys as the wine is not what I would consider to be a sweet wine but there is a underlying slightly sweet component to it. All of the other notes do a great job at adequately covering up this Brown Sugar to a good extent and what is left is really well presented. There is a "grip" to this wine as it coats your mouth and you struggle to find out just how for this price such a wine can be created. Some Graphite and Clove is presented here in this wine as well and I have to say that this wine is very powerful and tastes so much higher then its price point suggests guys.

   Okay so we are in the final paragraph. Before I give you my closing thoughts and my rating on this wine, I have to make a comment on the Louis .M. Martini website in relation to this wine. When you first read the page the winery presents to you (https://www.louismartini.com/wines/sonoma-county-cabernet-sauvignon-2016) in referance to this wine you will notice that they say that the "Varietal Content" of the wine is Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Merlot. As you get to the "Winemaker Notes" section you will see that they say the wine now has Cabernet Franc. I ask you, which is it? One other issue here is if you read the "Viticultral" section you will notice that we all of a sudden jumped backwards to the 2015 Vintage. One final issue here is that the Winery doesn't state anything about the French/American Oak in referance to the oak being new or old (neutral). For those of you who are unaware if indeed the oak is "neutral" then it really doesn't matter what type of oak it is or for that matter, how long the wine sat in it because a "neutral" it no longer imparts any flavor onto the wine. Alright then, let's finish up this final paragraph now. If you blind taste this wine at a party or perhaps another tasting venue, your guests will suggest prices of at least $50 if not more, that is how mpressive this wine is. If I hadn't seen the price per glass at the restaurant I also would have thought of that price range as well. This is a very textured wine and one which presents a rather nice plushness to it. I see that Mr. James Suckling has rated this wine at 92 points but on The Desert WIne Guy rating scale I am going to up him by one and give this wine 93 points.

I was very impressed by this wine and it's complexity as well as the fact that I have tasted many wines double the price which couldn't even hope to reach this score. By the way my Dinner at home that went perfectly with this wine was Hamburgers made from Wagyu Beef placed on the Smoker and cooked to perfection by Mrs. desert Wine girl. Lastly I will say Good job guys, keep up the great work.

                                                                                                                   The Desert Wine Guy

www.desertwineguy.blogspot.com/

www.facebook.com/DesertWineGuy?fref=nf

https://twitter.com/DesertWineGuyLV

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgCUb3w1n2S_UGU2yYRkFYQ/videos

https://www.brighteon.com/channel/thedesertwineguy