Tag Archives: Cabernet Sauvignon

The Grinder Blue Moose, Cab Sav and Shiraz 2017, South Africa

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The Grinder was a Laithwaites wine at one point, which had been around for a while although I can’t see it listed presently. This is the first time I’ve had the Blue Moose label. Aromas of black fruits, coffee and tobacco notes. It’s dry on the taste with sour cherry and a little chocolate hint which also comes through in the smell. Made for the Canadian and Scandinavian markets it retails at under EUR9 a bottle which makes this very acceptable.

The Grinder Blue Moose, Cab Sav and Shiraz 2017, South Africa

The Grinder Blue Moose, Cab Sav and Shiraz 2017, South Africa

Glenelly, Lady May 2010, South Africa

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We opened a magnum of the 2010 Lady May at a rather late Christmas dinner for some old friends. A wine thats 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot, had 24 months in new French oak may not be quite right with turkey but I don’t think the turkey minded!
Aromas of black plum, chocolate and toffee. There’s additional flavours of blackcurrant and hints of red fruit and black pepper. It has good length and rather dry on the finish, sip don’t gulp. The big issue, if I was to buy this is at £30 per standard bottle was that its over priced. £15+ is more like it.

  • Glenelly, Lady May 2010, South Africa

    Glenelly, Lady May 2010, South Africa LP

Bouchon – Mingre 2015 red blend from Chile.

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35% Carmenère, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Carignan is the makeup of this Chilian blend. The vineyard has gone organic in the last few years and ages the wine for between 12 and 18 months in french oak. This is a dry red with grippy tannins that really stay around. Its a rich red with herbaceous, blackberry, blackcurrant, spice and coffee notes and flavours and a slate finish undertone. Its a strong blend that will get better with age, softening and mellowing. I had this with steak which was a great combination. but enjoyed it on it’s own.

Decanter gave this a Silver medal, that’s about right. It pretty good, although at £25 a bottle its a little overpriced but not excessively so.

Bouchon - Mingre 2015 red blend from Chile

Bouchon – Mingre 2015 red blend from Chile

Megalit, Thracian Treasure, Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, Bulgaria

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This is a limited edition of 2000 bottles. Bulgarian wine does not have the greatest reputation. It’s a shame because it can produce great wine. This has aromas of spice, black plum and cherry that flows into the taste where there are firm tannins and  a pretty dry finish. This is fairly standard Cab Sav from Bulgaria, at £13 a bottle it’s over priced. There are better Cab Sav’s at under £10 out there. It’s Commended award from the Decanter World Wine Awards is spot on, drinkable but that’s it.

Megalit, Thracian Treasure Cabinet Sauvignon 2012, Bulgaria

Megalit, Thracian Treasure Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, Bulgaria

Ho-Lan Soul reserve 2015, Dry red from China

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China is making a lot of wine, its area under management has been said to be the biggest of any country and production of wine will no doubt follow. People poo poo Chinese wine but it’s pretty good and getting better all the time. There are a few that get Decanter gold medals for their quality, now it doesn’t get much better than that.

Previous vintages have received Decanter awards in the past but I can’t see if this vintage got one. Made in the North West China, near the Gobi desert and with Cabernet Sauvignon and  organic this is a dry red wine with loads of dark fruit, cherry, plum with medium tannins. It’s the tannin level that shows that the wine makers thought of balance and complexity and got reasonable right. Theres lots going on here and for me a bronze medal wine. Its not outstanding but better than so many others out there. If you see Chinese wine give it a go.

Ho-lan Soul reserve 2015, Dry red from China

Ho-lan Soul reserve 2015, Dry red from China