TWC does Cal Cabs

A wild night at Pat's with too many people crammed into her house. Overall, it was a solid if unspectacular tasting.

A range of cheap and cheerful wines from the awful to the very good.

• 2001 Sterling Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Vintner's Collection 82 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast

  Quite light and herbal, not bad for the money, but perhaps a little past its peak.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2001 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County 89 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Juicy and fruity, with lots of layers of good fruit. Built for a few years of solid drinking.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2001 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Century Cellars 86 Points

  USA, California

  A very fine value wine, very tasty and generous with lots of varietal character. Black currant and blackberry aromas and flavors. Hard to beat for the money and a lot better than much more expensive offerings from California.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2002 Fetzer Cabernet Sauvignon Valley Oaks 84 Points

  USA, California

  Not the best showing of this wine which I've had on a couple of other occasions. Very dry, quite austere but good structure and solid black fruit flavors. A little one dimensional but still good value for an inexpensive Californian Cabernet.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2002 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Rawson's Retreat 85 Points

  Australia, South Eastern

  A little heavy on the oak and vanilla but still lots of flavor for a cheap Cabernet.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2000 China Great Wall Wine Co. Great Wall 70 Points

  China, Guanting Lake

  Grapy and plain nasty. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Gamay.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2002 Hahn Cabernet Sauvignon Central Coast 87 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast

  A stunning value in Cabernet this is full of rich, ripe fruits, some structure and a very solid finish. A great QPR.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Nothing more than $30 in this range with some pretty solid wines.

• 2001 Hanna Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 89 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley

  A deft and interesting Cabernet, with mostly Alexander fruit and it shows - very supple and lithe. Good fruit, earthy tannins and good structure.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2001 Renteria Cabernet Sauvignon Salva Tierra 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Lots going on in this excellent Cabernet. Rich cherry aromas and lovely black fruits on the palate. Good structure, solid tannins and enough fruit to provide enough stuffing for drinking in the short to medium term.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2001 Starmont Cabernet Sauvignon 88 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  A solid showing. Lots of currant on the nose and in the mouth, with blackberry, cherry and some earth.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2002 Justin Vineyards & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 89 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

  Cassis and currant assault the nose and the palate is fleshy and dense with fruit. Almost full-bodied.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2001 Maloy O'Neill Cabernet Sauvignon East Block 91 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

  Dark ruby color, with leather, black currant and tobacco on the nose. Big black currant flavors, lots of good tannic bite, medium- to full-bodied and a nice finish. Has a quality and clarity of fruit that is hard to beat.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2001 Flora Springs Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Drinking well now with the stuffing to last until the end of the decade. Lots of blackberry, plum and cherry, with hints of cassis. The oak is well integrated and the tannins are smooth and integrated already.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2002 Whispering Dove Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Oakville 89 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

  Still primary and young. The nose is phenomenal, with currants and cassis and even hints of chocolate. The palate is a little hot and disjointed at this stage but the fruit is dense (plum, currant and cassis) and the palate is velvety and full-bodied. Give it a year or two to come together and it could be a pretty serious wine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

Nothing outrageously priced, but noting in the bargain department either. Generally a little more class and wines built for aging.

• 2001 Atalon Cabernet Sauvignon 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Tight and austere and still in its evolutionarty stage. That said, very promising with lots of black currant flavors, good tannic bite and firm structure.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1999 Judd's Hill Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Superb - with lots of blackberry flavors, combined with some pencil shavings, chocolate and even cherry. A smooth heavyweight wine for the long haul that is drinking well now.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1999 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cépages 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Questionable value for money. Lots of currant and blackberry fruit, but still quite woody, with hopes for the future if the oak integrates better. Revisit in 3-4 years.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue