Good Morning Gentle Readers,
TWC was rather lethargic about his first encounter with Frei Brothers Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon some time back. In the interim the opportunity to revisit the wine arose, and, surprisingly.....It was like night and day. Dead serious here, this cannot possibly be the same wine that was plucked from the shelf at Fry's in Tucson last summer (no, Fry's does not sell those kind of chips).
Bottle numero uno did not appear to be tainted, corked, or otherwise spoiled. Then again, a mild affliction is often difficult to spot, leaving the wine lifeless, flat, and lacking the depth of aroma we enjoy. As I recall the wine was a decent, drinkable wine, just not huzzah!
Bottle numero dos clearly exhibited the characteristics one would expect from an Alexander Valley Cabernet as evidenced by the winery's tasting notes:
Our Cabernet Sauvignon was crafted to express the best of Alexander Valley, showcasing ripe, rich, jammy dark red fruit flavors balanced with a touch of sweet vanilla and toasty oak.
Uhh, yes. It was. This rich, full bodied wine is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, & 4% Merlot and was quite tasty. Not quite the Frei Brothers Dry Creek Cab, but certainly an excellent wine with which to impress that sweet little doll babe you keep running into at the elevator.
This is a nice little mini tour of the Alexander Valley from Sonoma Uncorked.
Explanation of cork taint here plus one unconventional way to avoid a sink pour.
As Always,
TWC
Photo Credit (unless otherwise noted): ©TWC, all rights reserved
