2007 Chateau Ste Michelle Cabernet

2007 Chateau Ste Michelle
Cabernet Sauvignon

Chateau Ste Michelle
Patterson, Washington
$32+ tax (Fado Irish Pub, Washington D.C.)

I also had this wine on New Years eve in Washington D.C. This wine is slightly harsher than the Century Cellar wine. It has a very smokey flavor to it, but is also very tart, and fairly dry. The tartness subsides a bit after the wine breaths for a small bit, but the dryness remains.


SCORE: 72/100

2008 Century Callers Cabernet

 2008 Century Cellars 
Cabernet Sauvignon
Beaulieu Vineyards, Sonoma, CA

$26+tax (Fado Irish Pub. Washington D.C.)

I had this on New Years eve at Fado Irish Pub in Washington D.C. while waiting for the countdown. The wine is surprisingly sweet. Not overpowering sweet, but just a surprisingly because it is a cab, and cabs generally are not sweet wines. It has a very nice smoked oak smell that reminds me a bit of smoked BBQ. Because it is sweet, the dryness of the cab is not as noticeable. I'd say it is a medium to light bodied wine, very tasty. Will go very well with smoked BBQ because of the smoked oak taste. Or just to drink for any occasion.

Happy New Year!!

SCORE: 78/100

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2009 Phebus
Cabernet Sauvignon
Fabre Montmayou Wines
Mendoza, Argentina 
$9.99 + Tax (Total Wine, Newport News, VA)

Argentina wine! I bought this to see what South America has to offer. I've heard a lot of good things about South American wines and lots of experts say they are really coming along well.

This wine is very good. It has a sweet delivery, with a slightly dry finish. I can taste lots of berry flavor, and it has a little bit of smokiness to it. For a Cabernet, it is surprisingly light. It won't be overpowering like some other cabs, so I can imagine it being used for both appetizers and entree. The sweetness in the wine will also make it more palatable to all people, even the ones who doesn't like red.


SCORE: 82/100

2008 Susan Constant Red

The Williamsburg Winery, Williamsburg, Virginia
 $6.99 + tax (Total Wine, Newport News, VA)

This wine is a from a local Virginia winery located in Williamsburg. The Virginia wine scene is still very young and has not yet to catch the attention of the wine world. The 2008 Susan Constant Red is very different from your traditional red wine. It is quite harsh when you first open it. You MUST let this wine breath. It is just too harsh to drink without breathing. It has a slightly sweet berry flavor at first, but has a very dry finish. It's one of the driest wine I've had in recent memory. The flavors aren't that complex, as it is partially covered up by the dryness of the finish. It has a slightly earthy flavor to it, with a nice scent of flowers and cherry. It's not a bad table wine, but I would go with something else for special occasions.

SCORE: 65/100

2008 Gnarled Vine Zinfandel
 Oak Ridge Winery, Lodi, California
$8.99 + Tax (Total Wine, Newport News, VA)

This wine has a lot of flavor. When you first open it up and taste it, you will get a lot of berry flavor and a hint of oak. It has a really awesome spiciness in the finish at first, but will mellow out as it sits and breaths. I actually like the change, because it really gives you a good kick that first couple of sips. It is still delicious after it breaths and you can really taste the all the flavor elements. With the drastic change in the flavor profile, it's almost like having two wine in one!

For the price, I think its a great wine. Very strong flavor, so it would go very well with steak, roast, or meat stew. I would imagine it would also go very well with cheese and crackers, but I think it definitely shines when paired with red meat.

SCORE: 85/100