Caparone - Cabernet Sauvignon

Caparone Winery  in Paso Robles, California has been turning out world class, ageworthy wine since 1979. Amazingly they do it for $14.00 a bottle.

They make six wines. Sangiovese, Merlot, Nebbiolo, Zinfandel, Merlot, Aglianico & Cabernet Sauvignon. All are 100 % varietal.

Their 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from Ben Nacido Vineyard in Santa Maria Valley is an impressive expression of the heralded grape.

At four years old this Cabernet, while very enjoyable now, is just a baby. Caparone makes their wines for the long haul. There is intensity upfront, a solid mid palate with lots of dark fruit and a hint of spiciness followed by a long finish.

Both oak and tannins are present in this wine but neither overwhelm the purity of fruit that explodes on your palate. Time will most certainly see some of the upfront fruit replaced by earthiness, additional complexity and the elegance only a fine aged Cabernet can provide.

This wine is a perfect candidate to lay a case of down. Drink a bottle every year or so and watch it evolve.

Finding wines of this quality with Caparone's track record of success year after year is a near impossibility. Kudos to Caparone for the wonderful job they do.

Benessere Sangiovese

I can count on one had the number of California Wineries that make consistent Sangiovese that is also true to the Varietal. Include Benessere Vineyards amongst their number.Their 2002 Sangiovese is 100% varietal and 100% Napa fruit.

It's also made in a classic old world style. In Italy sangiovese is a work horse. Chianti and Brunello are two examples that use sangiovese as the primary grape.

This sangiovese seems to fall between those two wine styles in weight and substance.  The upfront fruit reminds me of a young Brunello. The classic cherry, spice and cola notes are reminiscent of Chianti.

At five years of age this sangiovese still seems like it has plenty of life left. A couple of years on the cellar will likely benefit it. I'd expect it to pick up additional earthiness as some of the fruit recedes a bit.

Casa Julia Merlot

It's a funny thing about Chilean wines. People seem to either rave about them or revile them. Along with a lot of other Southern Hemisphere wines they've been bandied about as bargains for years by the Wine Press. Truth is, sometimes they are are sometimes they're not.

The 2003 Casa Julia Merlot is definitely in the bargain camp.

Coming in under $8 it offers plenty for that money.

Dark fruit rules the day with a bit of a peppery undertone.

It's medium to full bodied with a nice finish. Certainly more finish than you usually get for $8.

Significantly more true varietal character than you'll generally find in this price range

It likely won't evolve much but I'll bet it holds up for another few years if properly stored.

If you're looking for a house wine or something to go to with a large crowd when you don't want to break into your higher end bottles, the Casa Julia is a safe bet. 

Old Vine Zin

I love good Old Vine Zinfandel. The ones from Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma seem to be particularly tasty.  I had the 2002 Manzanita Creek Carreras Ranch last night, it didn't dissapoint.

Jammy, White Pepper, Long Finish.

A Touch Raisiny with some Late Harvest Characteristics.

In Short: Classic Zinfandel. If You like your Zins BIG, checkout Manzanita Creek .