I have been doing some digging for value QPR affordable cab’s and came up with a couple of wines that get some mention on discussion boards and are readily available to me (pretty much a grocery store wine if you will). I was trying to avoid spoofy new world cabs and both of these get check marks in that department. These are not jammy, spoofy, fruit or oak bombs. And I find a lot of lower end affordable cabs, regardless of origin, have a green vegetable streak which turns me off. Both of these wines don’t have that too. And these two wines are quite different from each other. Very much a contrast in styles.
2010 Viña Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon Medalla Real Gran Reserva
$20 and 14% abv.
Deep dark garnet. Does not look like a big dense monster wine, nor does it drink that way.
Cassis and cherry. Very light and refreshing red berry. This wine has a lot of acid and is very food friendly and to me needs food. Or more age if drunk without food. Definitely a structured wine, but not unwieldy or unapproachable. It has more acid than tannin right now. And fruit is poised right there in the middle to give it the balance. This is a good wine and I imagine rewards some cellar time. Not bad.
2009 Cousiño-Macul Cabernet Sauvignon Antiguas Reservas
$15 and $14 abv.
Wow. This wine punches well above its weight. It’s very much Burgundy in style for lack of another way of saying this is a feminine, delicate wine. Very light ruby color. And light body. But does it ever pack a serious wallop of flavor and nose. Pretty intense wine, but not over extracted in any sense of the word. And the texture has fine wine all over it. It melts in your mouth like a delicate $50 wine does. My only complaint is this wine is a bit ripe for me. It has a pretty sweet core. I suspect this might be the vintage and I look forward to checking out the 2010 when it’s released here. I picked up a case of this anyway. It drinks great now, but should also provide a couple more years of pleasure. It would make non geeks piss their pants, and geeks would appreciate what this wine offers for the price but would no doubt recognize it’s flaw. Great $15 wine.