Ten or twelve years ago, we considered Fetzer Valley Oaks cabernet to be THE unmatched value wine under $12. It had decent nose, body, color, and fruit, but what really distinguished it was the earthy, tannic structure and lingering finish suggestive of an oak barrel aging program normally absent at this price point.
This 2008 cab is not that! But what it IS, is a pleasing mid-week quaffer/cocktail wine offering nice fruit up front. Not much structure or finish...I guess those days are gone forever. Still, this wine offers nice QPR.
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Overpriced. Lacks character, and generally belongs in the same price range (or slightly below) as Yellow Tail. It's possible that this might get better in the next year, but I highly doubt it - the label indicates "black cherry flavors, a hint of chocolate, and aromas of vanilla and spice." The black cherry is detectable, the other flavors are muddled. Disregarding price, it's not bad table wine - it has a pleasant enough finish, but its flavors are overwhelmed by nearly any food pairing.
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9/1/2012 - maslates wrote: 74 Points
No complexity. Barely drinkable.
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12/20/2011 - Fixel wrote: 88 Points
Erster Tag O.K., zweiter Tag deutlich besser , am dritten und vierten Tag wie am ersten. War ein Jahr davor brauchbarer.
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7/5/2011 - boldntannic wrote: 86 Points
This is a $4.49 bargain cab that surprised us.
Ten or twelve years ago, we considered Fetzer Valley Oaks cabernet to be THE unmatched value wine under $12. It had decent nose, body, color, and fruit, but what really distinguished it was the earthy, tannic structure and lingering finish suggestive of an oak barrel aging program normally absent at this price point.
This 2008 cab is not that! But what it IS, is a pleasing mid-week quaffer/cocktail wine offering nice fruit up front. Not much structure or finish...I guess those days are gone forever. Still, this wine offers nice QPR.
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4/30/2011 - Grumbling_Goat wrote: 76 Points
Overpriced. Lacks character, and generally belongs in the same price range (or slightly below) as Yellow Tail. It's possible that this might get better in the next year, but I highly doubt it - the label indicates "black cherry flavors, a hint of chocolate, and aromas of vanilla and spice." The black cherry is detectable, the other flavors are muddled. Disregarding price, it's not bad table wine - it has a pleasant enough finish, but its flavors are overwhelmed by nearly any food pairing.
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4/22/2011 - wayne47 wrote:
While this was OK for the price, it's not something we would buy again.
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