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Tasting Notes for CdrCabernet

(257 notes on 254 wines)

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Red
3/8/2024 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
92 points
Highly aromatic and silky smooth. Good palate with multiple layers of flavor. While the blend of all three of the Hawkes vineyards lacks the distinctive character of their single vineyard wines, the blend is perfectly balanced and is quite enjoyable. Drink now or cellar for a few years.

Disclaimer: I've been a Hawkes club member for ten years, so I may be biased.
Red
8/27/2023 - CdrCabernet Does not like this wine:
86 points
They took a Sonoma Cab and made it taste like a Paso Robles Cab by adding Malbec, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. I like Sonoma, particularly Alexander Valley Cabs. I am not a fan of Paso Cabs.
Red
7/1/2023 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
88 points
A fine table Cab. Light aroma of tobacco and spice. Nothing special on the palate, but nothing offensive, either. A good, flavorful Cab. The big attraction here is the price. At $30 a bottle, it's a good bargain.
White
6/18/2023 - CdrCabernet Does not like this wine:
80 points
Too much oak and too much butter. I prefer a cleaner, crisper Chard. If you like Rombauer, you'll like this wine. For those of us who prefer a better Chardonnay, this isn't for you.
White
6/10/2023 - CdrCabernet Does not like this wine:
88 points
Butter bomb. If you like a buttery Chardonnay without a lot of the Rombauer oak, this is your Chard. I prefer a cleaner, crisper Chard, so this is not my cup of tea.
White - Sparkling
5/9/2023 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
90 points
A surprisingly affordable good quality Champagne. Great aroma, very well-blended, delicate palate and super-long finish.
Red
2/22/2023 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
89 points
Wow. I read some of the other notes here and while I agree with some observations, I have a slightly different view. I got spice, barnyard, and a touch of mint. I agree that the body is a bit thin, but there is a pretty good flavor profile with a nice finish. I agree that the price is rather high for the quality of the wine. My favorite Turley is Buck Cobb and I think the QPR favors the Buck. Overall, this is a very nice Paso Zin.
Red
9/1/2022 - CdrCabernet wrote:
88 points
Meh. A blend of 90% Cab and 10% Merlot. Enjoyable, but not remarkable. Gainey's strong suit is their Pinot Noir. They should stay in their lane. At $45.50 club price, I'd rather have a Louis Martini Napa or Alexander Valley Cab.
White
8/1/2022 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
88 points
Not a very distinctive aroma, but lots of lime and grapefruit on the palate. Heavier body than most Sav Blanc for a very pleasant mouthfeel. Moderate finish. Good value.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
7/29/2022 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
87 points
Okay, so this isn’t a big Napa Cab, but then again, it’s only $12. This is a nice table Cab that won’t offend drinkers of great Cabernets. Good aroma, flavorful but not distinctive; there aren’t a lot of layered characteristics here. Mild but pleasant tannins. Short finish. Just a nice, drinkable wine.
White
7/28/2022 - CdrCabernet Does not like this wine:
82 points
Rombauer Chardonnay with a different label. Heavy oak and 100% malolactic fermentation. In other words, an oaky butter bomb. Full bodied, almost syrupy. If you like Rombauer Chardonnay, and a lot of people do, you should try this.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
7/20/2022 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
88 points
Very tasty. A touch sweeter than most Zinfandels but definately a Zin. Impressive finish. Low tannins.
1 person found this helpful Comments (1)
Red
7/11/2022 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
89 points
100% Pinot Noir from Evan's Ranch. 14 months on 34% new French oak. Cherry and rose petal on the nose. Spice, black raspberry, and pomegranate on the palate. Good complexity with a moderately long finish. May be a little young. I received this as a club shipment and bought six more bottles, so if I don't drink them all, I'll wait a year or two.
Red
5/30/2022 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
90 points
Wonderful aroma of black cherry and currant. Not very complex on the palate with notes of black cherry, fig, and allspice. There is a nice long finish with a hint of grippy tannin that makes this Pinot very enjoyable. Very well balanced.

I have to disagree with WineKnut. I tasted this with the 2020 Melville Estate and went home with the Block M. While I prefer the Block M, I would agree that the Estate has a higher QPR. Maybe I just like the nose. Don't drink it, just smell it.
Red
2/21/2022 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
92 points
Medium body with crisp, tart cranberry on the palate. Very long finish. I really enjoyed this Pinot.
Red
2/20/2022 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
90 points
Full bodied Zin with raspberry and anise on the palate. Nice long finish with good complexity and interesting tannins. May be a bit young. I did not decant. I'll try that with my other bottle. Good QPR. I'll buy more of this if it's on my allocation list.
Red
2/12/2022 - CdrCabernet wrote:
88 points
Like Rombauer, Frank Family is always good and a crowd pleaser, but if you are looking for a remarkable Cab, this ain't it. Good aroma, medium body, not very complex on the palate, but good tannins. Disappointing short finish. I don't see a lot of aging potential here, best enjoyed now.
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
Even though I don't like it, it's not a bad Cab. Red current mint and forest floor on the nose. Not very complex with a weak tannin structure. Good acid. Disappointly short on the finish. What can you expect for $35?
Red
Overextracted, muddy flavor mix and a touch more oak than I like. Long finish, but that's about the best I can say about it. Very disappointing. Quilt is on a lot of restaurant wine lists. I'll avoid it.
Red
2/5/2022 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
91 points
A very tasty blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Syrah from Tony Biagi at Hourglass. Flint, spice and black cherry on the nose. Full bodied with tangy plum, blackberry, and cassis on the palate wrapped with nice tannins in the background. Extremently long finish with layers of flavor. My 2019 was young. Would like to try some with a little bottle-aging.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
12/28/2021 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
91 points
Boysenberry and kirsh on the nose, plus a whiff of the 14.8% alcohol. Medium full body with well balanced tannins. Fairly complex notes of blackberry and cherry. Nice finish. This is an Atlas Peak blend of 98% Cab and 2% Petit Verdot. Fairly priced at $75. I tasted this straight from the pour, may improve with decanting.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
12/22/2021 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
90 points
Dark ruby in color, dark cherry and leather on the nose. It's got enough Cab to call it a Cab, but it is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot,
2% Mourvedre, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Syrah aged 20 mos. in French Oak, 42% new. Well balanced with mild tannins and layers of flavor with a nice finish. Not bad for a $30 Cab. I'll buy this again. I did not decant. That's the next experiment.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
10/12/2021 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
90 points
Still a bit young. Mint and earth on the nose. Medium body. Black plum, cumin, and coriander on the palate. Very tangly and tasty with a long finish. Decant and it opens nicely.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
8/27/2021 - CdrCabernet Does not like this wine:
86 points
Great aroma on the nose, but disappointing on the palate. Almost non-existant tannin structure. No finish. Very muddled flavors. It's not expensive, but I expected a little more.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
6/30/2021 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
88 points
A bit thin, but still flavorful. Very pleasant floral bouquet on the nose with a nice fruit-foward palate. Traditional Pinot notes of strawberry, cranberry, and plum. A little short on the finish, but overall, very well balanced.
White
6/28/2021 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
91 points
Very well balanced between oak and butter with a nice touch of acid. Good, long finish -- better than most Chardonnays. Not a fruit bomb, but great with food.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
Over-oaked and over-extracted. I should have known from the price. Unfortunately, I bought 3 bottles of this. I poured the last one down the sink. If it didn't have a screwcap, I could have sworn it was corked. Avoid.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
5/12/2021 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
88 points
Sobon makes a very good Amador Cabernet. It's not going to challenge a Napa or Sonoma Cab, but for the price, this is an excellent value. It's big fruit-forward with a delicate tannin structure and a pleasant but short (by Napa standards) finish.
Red
5/2/2021 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
90 points
Nicely balanced with a long finish. I like big fruit and this Pinot has it.
Red
4/19/2021 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
89 points
A nice, serviceable Pinot. Nothing special, but good balance, nice fruit, and a pleasant finish.
Red
4/4/2021 - CdrCabernet wrote:
flawed
There seems to be a lot of corked wines from Provenance
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
1/25/2021 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
90 points
Cedar and spice on the nose. Notes of blackberry, chocolate, and licorice. Long finish. Decant for at least 30 min.
1 person found this helpful Comments (1)
Red
12/1/2020 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
91 points
Dark inky purple with a faint aroma of anise and plum. Heavyweight, almost creamy with layers of flavor and good tannic structure. I get notes of blackberry, flint, and cranberry on the palate. Very long, pleasant finish. This is a good wine to sip and savor. Maybe a bit young but very drinkable.
Red
11/1/2020 - CdrCabernet Does not like this wine:
72 points
Weak, watered down, flavorless. You would not be able to identify this as Cabernet Sauvignon in a blind tasting.
Red
10/25/2020 - CdrCabernet Does not like this wine:
85 points
Thin, tastes watered down. No finish.
Red
8/3/2020 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
90 points
Very good Pinot. Nice complexity and very flavorful. A bit on the pricey side, but you get what you pay for.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
If this is the reserve, I'd hate to taste the non-reserve. There are no distintive qualities to this Cab. Typical box or value wine quality with no clarity or layers of flavor. Short, flat finish. Not even worth the low price.
Red
8/3/2020 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
86 points
Very muted flavors, almost like it was watered down. Good length on the finish. It's okay, but I will not buy it again.
White
8/1/2020 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
85 points
A very serviceable Chardonnay. A little on the sweet side, but it's not too oaky or buttery. Nice nose and a good finish for a $12 wine. Most cheap Chardonnays are undrinkable. While this is no Rombauer, it's not bad.
Red
7/31/2020 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
88 points
A perfectly serviceable Pinot Noir. Blackberry and flint on the nose, strawberry and dark cherry with a hint of spice on the palate. Not very complex and a little short on the finish, but still a pretty good value. Another year or two in the bottle might help.
Red
7/30/2020 - CdrCabernet Does not like this wine:
76 points
Over-oaked to the point where it is barely distinguishable as a Pinot Noir. The palate is so muddled that you can't pick out any particular flavor note. Long finish, however, but in this case that's not a good thing. It's cheap and you get what you paid for.
Red
7/24/2020 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
90 points
I was introduced to this wine at a virtual tasting hosted by the Daou brand ambassador, Fred Dame. (Yes, THAT Fred Dame.) He is a wealth of information and extremely knowlegable on wine in general and Daou specifically. We had a great time. I see why he is a Master Sommelier.

The Daou Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a high end Paso cab. Don't expect Napa, but you aren't paying Napa prices. Nice aroma of black fruit and flint on the nose. Good tannins and good finish, but a bit weak in the mid palate. Not as pinpoint as Napa, but nicely blended with flavors of blackberry, tobacco, and a hint of anise. I bought more of this. I'd like to see what happens in a few years.
Red
4/17/2020 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
91 points
Affordable Napa Valley Cab. Fruit forward with blueberry and black current on the palate. Nicely complex with a good tannin structure. The fruit is sourced from Coombsville, Stagecoach, Mount Veeder & Spring Mountain. Aged for 21 months in French Oak. Only 536 cases produced. I may be a bit biased since the winemaker lives in my neighborhood, but if you can find it, this is a great value.
Red
4/17/2020 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
90 points
Pinpoint accurate Russian River Pinot Noir. The flavors are complex and the wine finishes nicely. Purchased as part of a virtual tasting and I'll be going back for more.
11/25/2020 - And I did go back for more. My local wine store had a sale and I picked up a half case. Does not disappoint.
Red
7/23/2019 - CdrCabernet wrote:
88 points
Rather thin with a short finish. Disappointing for a Rutherford Cab.
White
2018 Helwig Sauvignon Blanc California Shenandoah Valley (view label images)
7/8/2019 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
88 points
Good, but not remarkable. Not as bold or precise as other, better Sauvignon Blancs. Nevertheless, a good summer sipping wine.
Red
7/6/2019 - CdrCabernet Likes this wine:
92 points
Excellent California Bordeaux blend. Highly aromatic with spice and current on the nose. Typical California big fruit on the palate with notes of blackberry and tobacco. Pleasant tannin structure with layers of flavor and a long finish. Don't drink it fast -- let it open. I probably should have decanted. Pretty good QPR at $40 a bottle. I like most Alexander Valley Vineyards products and this is another good one.
Red
6/27/2019 - CdrCabernet wrote:
89 points
A very pleasant Pinot, but not as bold as other Central Coast Pinots. Fairly complex with a long finish.
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  • Tasting Notes: 257 notes on 254 wines
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