Cabernet Sauvignon
The Cabernet Sauvignon grape is a highly structured grape with an intense, deep flavor. Often, flavors of black currant, mint, chocolate, tobacco, and cedar emerge. Cabernet Sauvignon has a high level of tannin and good aging potential. It is most often aged in oak and, in Bordeaux, blended with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Sauvignon is grown in Bordeaux in France as well as in Australia, Chile, and in the USA.
Good pairings for Cabernet Sauvignon are harder, salty, tangy, nutty aged cheeses such as Cheddar, Dry Jack, aged Gouda, Gruyère, Parmigiano Reggiano, and harder sheep cheeses such as 12 month Manchego.
B.R. Cohn 2000 $15.99 at Grapevine. 80% San Luis Obispo County (Central Coast region of CA) and 20% Sonoma County. This cab was made by the manager of the Doobie Brothers. It is supposed to be a typical strong cab. It is a blending of grapes from two different vineyards. It is supposed to have full rich flavors of berry, cassis, and black cherry with hints of vanilla from aging in French oak barrels. Complexity and depth of character. www.brcohn.com. It smells like wood and black fruit, maybe even a little licorice. It is very smooth, woody, well-integrated tannins, tart, and pine. It is woody, fruity and rich, but still tastes kind of light. It finishes nicely. It doesn't finish too fast, but it is kind of mild to begin with.
B.R. Cohn with Dry Jack. Yum! This is absolutely delicious. This is another good Sonoma type of pairing, even though only 20% of the grapes came from Sonoma. I love the chocolate and light meaty, woody flavor in the cheese with the wood in the wine. There is a little bitterness. This is a lighter pairing than with the Zinfandel. The wine is light and fruity with this cheese. It's good.
B.R. Cohn with Gruyère. Nice, robust cheese. It kills the wine. Oh well. It's not so bad together, but it is a little bitter. I totally lose the wine. I think this wine might go with a lighter or younger Gruyère.
B.R. Cohn with Stravecchio (like Parmigiano). This is kind of interesting together. The cheese is salty and nutty. It goes well with the fruit in the wine, and the tannins are definitely not a problem. However, I think the cheese overpowers the wine.
B.R. Cohn with Sweet Grass Tomme.
Bell Mountain 1998 This wine was a gift. It is from Bell Mountain Vineyards in Fredericksburg, Texas. 12% alcohol. At first, this wine tasted weedy it was so herbaceous (which I found out could be from unripe grapes), but then once it opened up, it was good. Also, the cork, when I uncorked it, splattered wine around. Towards the end of the bottle, there was a lot of sediment. When I first opened it, it tasted light and fresh -- flavors of herbs, fresh tobacco, light wood, and tart strawberries and cherries, and lush black currants. High acidity and soft tannins. The next day, it developed a rich, chocolate flavor with anise. It is aged in American oak for 12 months. Read more about it at http://www.bellmountainwine.com.
Bell Mountain with Cantalet. This cheese is a super creamy buttery Cheddar type from France. It is ok. The wine gets fruity and tart. The cheese gets overpowered, but it's still good since the wine seems pretty light for a Cab. The wine is not too thick.
Caliterra with Arina Goat Gouda. The
wine makes the cheese so sweet.
Caliterra with Cabot 5 peppercorn white cheddar. Good.
Caliterra with Neal’s Yard Wensleydale. It
made the wine taste like metal.
Caliterra and Cacio de Roma. I
predicted this would be great, but it made the wine and cheese both taste
bitter.
Caliterra and Montbriac. A little bitter, but ok. The cheese is a very strange type of blue with a thick crust. Spicy.
Caliterra and Gorgonzola Dolce. I like the sweet with the spicy.
Casa Julia Reserve, 2001 $14 a bottle at Central Market. This is from the Maipo Valley in Chile. 13% alcohol. It is made from old vines that add a sophisticated aromatic complexity and richness to the wine. The grapes are fermented for 25 days at cooler temperatures and then aged in American Oak for a minimum of 6 months Only slight fining and filtering. This wine was good, though I didn't take too many notes on it since we were all talking. It seemed very smooth, fruity, and full.
Casa Julia Reserve with Basil goat cheese. I was surprised to see that the Chèvre would pair well with a big wine like a Cab, but the basil and tanginess went well with the wood and the fruit.
Castle Rock, Napa Valley 2001 Tasted in 2004. $10.99 at Grapevine. They were demoing this and I liked it. 13.5% alcohol. This is from St. Helena, CA. It has a deep ruby color and velvety textures. It really is a soft-tasting wine. The label says it has complex flavors of black cherry, ripe plum, and spice with hints of light oak. It is supposed to have a long, smooth, and harmonious finish. It can be aged until 2007 or drunk now. It was drunk now. It does smell like cherries and wood. This is such a nice wine. It has some flavors of vanilla and a very spicy finish. It has a lot of flavor, but it is not overwhelming. There is a lot of tannin in the finish. I could just sit here and sip this all night. I think this would be nice with Vella Dry Jack, but I didn't taste them together.
Castle Rock with Balarina Goat Gouda. It's not horrible. It just makes the wine taste too tart and the cheese turns bitter. I'd never pair them together, but they wouldn't shock at a party. I do like the spices and the nuts together, but the aftertaste is a little funky. I think maybe a cow's milk aged Gouda would work better.
Castle Rock with Four Star Cheddar from Grafton. This is ok together, but I think this wine is too soft for the cheese. It tastes a little too sharp with this wine. Yes, the cheese is sharp, but with some wines, it just blends right in. I feel like the sharpness assaults the fruit a little bit here. Still, there is a nice nutty taste. I think this cheese needs a more robust Cab.
Castle Rock with Uniekaas Goat Gouda. This cheese is so creamy and tangy. It's sort of ok with this wine, but not so great. It wants to work, but then it isn't perfect. No, on second thought, it is ok. It is bitter, though. The fruity wine is kind of nice with the smooth, mellow goat.
Casa Nieto Senetiner Vino Fino Tinto 2000 (Tasted in 2004) About $20, brought in by a friend who had been to Argentina. 13% alcohol. Very aromatic -- blackberries, mint, smoke, and tar. It is a dark, dense red color. It tastes burning, rich, and full. Lots of dark berries on the mid-palate and the finish. Very rich, dense wine with firm tannins, tobacco, and sweet vanilla. I loved this wine. It really made me stop and think. It is from Mendoza, aged in French oak. It is supposed to be intense with a penetrating, vigorous aroma. Good tannin character.
Casa Nieto with Fiscalini Bandage Cheddar. Not so good because the streaks of mold in the cracks of the cheese turn the wine bitter.
*Casa Nieto with Gouda, 2 year. Nutty, salty, tangy, and creamy cheese. Delicious together! I didn't expect it to be so good. The salt and the milky taste in the cheese go really well with the light spice and thick berries in the wine. Unfortunately, I only had one tiny sip of this, so I didn't get to evaluate it well, but I'd like to try Gouda and thick, lush Cab again sometime.
Estancia 2001 $12. 13.5% alcohol. From Paso Robles. It is grown where the temperature has extreme swings and the land is rugged. The flavor is concentrated. It is supposed to have intense black currant and dark cherry fruit flavors and a long, rich finish. I smell leather and some sort of dark berry, maybe blackberries, and yes, some cherry. When I first opened it, it smelled like 409. This sure does have a long finish! I taste tobacco, rich dark, kind of too ripe fruit. I guess that is black currant. It doesn't taste like the blackberries I ate this morning. The flavors are intense. It is a little tingly and a little spicy. It is not too dry, not too harsh of tannins. This was good with buffalo meat. I like this wine a lot.
Estancia 2001 with Aged White Cheddar from HEB. Excellent!
Estancia 2001 with Mimolette. This is really good, but the cheese is a little nutty and butterscotchy for it. It's still good. I get a lot of butterscotch and sugar in the cheese when I drink this wine. Then I taste nice fruit in the wine.
Estancia 2001 with Queso al Pimenton. This cheese is so mild and creamy. It was a little bitter with the wine, but it was ok. The wine was too sturdy for this delicate cheese. The flavors are nice. I don't really like the textures together. Although the wine is not too dry, it still feels harsh with the cheese.
Foppiano 2000 with Vintage Irish Cheddar. Absolutely perfect! Sien from Prestige Cellars picked this wine out to go with a sharp cheddar, and it was great. It is the perfect balance. The wine is sweet and smooth, and the cheese is sharp and salty. It is so good. He was right about the wine not having too strong tannins for the cheese. There is no bitterness. It just blends together to where as soon as you eat the cheese, you want more wine, and as soon as you drink the wine, you want more cheese.
Frei Brothers Alexander Valley Reserve 2002 (Tasted in 2006) $25 at Whole Foods. From northern Sonoma. 13.6% alcohol. Dark, inky color. it has a huge nose that dissipates somewhat on the palate. The label says it should taste like cassis and eucalyptus leaves plus dark berries, vanilla, and toasty oak. I can smell the eucalyptus. When I taste it, I almost get a citrus flavor plus some cigar. It is an intense wine and easy to drink, in spite of all the flavors going on. It is full-bodied and smooth.
Frei Brothers Reserve with Emmenthal. Not so great. They get along well, but the cheese is so mild, the wine kills it.
Frei Brothers Reserve with Goat Brie. Interesting. The cheese doesn't let the wine show all it's flavors, but since both the wine and cheese are so bold, they almost match.
Frei Brothers Reserve with Keen's Cheddar. This is a super sharp, grassy Cheddar that burns the tongue. It is ok at first with the cheese, but then after a few seconds, it makes a barnyard smell in my mouth.
Hess Select 2001 $15.49 at Vincent's in Birmingham, AL. 13.5% alcohol. From the Napa Valley. The guy at the store showed me a lot of cabs, but then told me he liked this one the best for mid-range, and it turned out to be the cheapest. The label says it is rich with soft tannins and youthful fruitiness. The winery uses traditional winemaking techniques combined with aging in small oak barrels for 14 months. This is a very pleasant wine. Sometimes I expect Cabs to be really dry and strong, but they never are. I think those are usually the Italian and French wines that turn out like that to me. This is a pretty dark ruby color. It smells like blackberries and blueberries. It also smells a little herbaceous. The taste is light. The finish gets very full and almost buttery, and then dry, like that tobacco taste. It tastes a little oaky and like some sort of herbs, like when you eat dry herbs out of the jar. Maybe it is also a mint flavor. It's really good. It disappeared before much cheese was eaten.
Hess Select with 5 year Gouda. This is an extreme aged Gouda. It has a lot of nuts and caramel, and even a smoky finish. It is hard like a Parmigiano-Reggiano, but still has a nice creamy mouthfeel. Also not so great. It's ok. I think that this wine has too much "structure" for these cheeses. The wine has too much of a tannin taste (even though it seems pretty smooth) with these super nutty, almost sweet, cheeses. They need a fruitier wine to bring out their salt and sweet.
Hess Select with Old Amsterdam Gouda. This is one of my favorite aged Goudas. It is smooth and creamy, but still has a good, light, butterscotch flavor to it. Ooh, I don't like these so well together. I think I preferred the two year black wax Gouda with that other Cab (Pepperwood Grove) to this. This has a metallic, bitter taste together. Darn, because I thought they might be good matches. Maybe this wine was too herby for the cheese.
Los Vascos 2003 (Tasted in 2005) $8.99 at World Market. 13.5% alcohol. This is from Colchagua in Chile. It is made by Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite). It is supposed to be a Bordeaux style of Cabernet Sauvignon. Los Vascos is one of Chile's oldest wine estates. In 1988, the Rothschild family came in and conducted a modernization program on the winery. It is located in the Cañeten valley of the Colchagua province. This province has never been affected by phylloxera, so it still has some of the original Bordeaux rootstock. It is a deep red color and has a smell of mint and cedar. It also tastes herbaceous and lightly spicy with something that reminds me of dirt. The finish is kind of dirty. I guess this dirt flavor could be described as coffee. Full-bodied, rich, and complex. It is more rustic than a "real" Bordeaux, but it still has a little Bordeaux flavor, but with the fleshiness of Chilean wines mixed in.
Los Vascos with Irish Dubliner. Delicious! The cheese could even be a little stronger. No, wait. This grassy flavor in the cheese is not so perfect with the wine. Still, it's pretty good. The wine has a little of an herbaceous flavor that pairs nicely with the cheese. I also like the similar weights.
Los Vascos with Tour de Marze Brie. This is ok. The Brie is mild, but still has some prominent flavors. I like Bries and Bordeaux together (which is why I named my pet rats Brie and Bordeaux.) This wine has just enough of a Bordeaux flavor to pull off pairing up with a Brie. The finish is kind of bitter, but it's alright.
J. Lohr 2000 Seven Oaks Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon. $17. 13.5% alcohol. Very very smooth, slightly oaky, and fruity. It has well-balanced tannins, but some might say it doesn't have a lot of structure for a cab. They use the French system of planting grapes. It is lightly smoky, a little tart, and maybe has a flavor of cherries. Nice wine. I'd definitely buy this again and again. I didn't taste any cheese with it. Oops!
McPherson 2003 (Tasted in 2005) $15.99 at Grapevine. 13.1% alcohol. This is one of Texas' favorite Cabs. The label says: "This vintage is smooth and soft, glowing with plum, cherry, and cassis flavors." The wine is made by Kim McPherson, but the wine is actually named for her father, Dr. Clinton "Doc" McPherson, a founder and pioneer of the Texas wine industry. She works to produce wines with modern winemaking techniques, but that have an old world flavor. It is not highly aromatic, but sometimes stinky like a Pinot Noir. Ruby-colored and dense. Pronounced tannins and then very ripe fruit flavors. I definitely taste the cassis on the finish. It is nice, but for me, calls for food -- namely cheese.
*McPherson with Blanca Bianca. Semi-soft, semi-stinky cow's milk cheese. Very nice together. The nuttiness in the cheese shines through with this wine. I like this wine with the cheese better than the Claret because the tannins somehow tame that wild smell and taste in the cheese. This is good. Every time I eat a piece of cheese, I want more wine, and vice versa.
McPherson with Kutter's 3 year Cheddar. New York Cheddar.
Papio 2004 (Tasted in 2006) $5.99 at World Market. http://www.papiowines.com Very rich and spicy, especially for a wine this price. I had tasted this before at coffeehouses and it seemed pretty mild, probably because I was talking, sipping, and eating, but on second taste, it seems very intense and full-bodied with a lot of character. This wine was difficult at times with some cheeses that I thought would be sure-fire winners. It turns out it is not 100% Cab, but is a varietal blend of the following grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Sangiovese, Petite Syrah, and Barbera. That would explain all the spice and cherry flavors.
Papio with Kerrygold Irish Cheddar. This Cheddar is very interesting since it has a little bit of a bacon flavor. Otherwise, it's mild, but still with enough sharpness to let it hold up to a Cab. The finish is pretty clean, so it shouldn't interfere with the wine too much. They are ok together, but there is some bitterness. The cheese, even though it tastes mild, when it's put with a big juicy, spicy wine like this, it starts to taste gamy.
Papio with Kraft Extra Sharp Cheddar. OK, but still not perfect. It was a little bitter and kind of bland. Usually Cheddar and Cab are a perfect match together, especially when the Cheddar is easy-going.
*Papio with Stravecchio Parmesan from Wisconsin. Also really good. This wine loves nutty cheese. The textures are a bit mismatched, but the flavors are all there. The cheese is bold, yet laid back. It really lets the spice shine through in the wine without causing any bitterness.
*Papio with Vlaskaas. Flemish style Gouda from Holland. Very nutty and almost caramel-y kind of cheese with a gorgeous texture. Absolutely gorgeous together. This is the cheese I was searching for for this wine. Its rich, creamy, nutty, and salty flavors go great with the bold, dark fruit in the wine. The wine brings out the nuts and roasted flavors in the cheese. They complement each other really well and both kind of dwindle off together. There is still some bitterness on the finish, but it's still a good pairing.
Pepperwood Grove 2002 from CA. Tasted in 2004. About $8 at Vincent's in Birmingham, AL. 13% alcohol. The label is granny smith apple green now. The label says that the grapes come from the coastal and warmer interior vineyards. It has forward fruit, herbaceous and subtle spice "on a matrix" of smooth tannins and rich French Oak. It smells very very ripe. It has been open for more than a day, so maybe I can't tell what it tastes like. It smells very fruity. The tannins are moderate. It also tastes very fruity, like kind of a black currant flavor. It reminds me a little of a Merlot at first, but then it has more tannins. I like it. It also tastes very young.
Pepperwood Grove with Gouda 2 year. I love this cheese and it keeps great in the fridge. It is nutty, butterscotchy, and caramely. It is good with this Cab. I like that fruit and butterscotch flavor together. It tastes sweet and salty at the same time, even though I know that the wine isn't really sweet. I like the fullness of the cheese and the wine together. I think this cheese goes with a lot of red wine.
Rabbit Ridge 2000 (Tasted in 2003) Barrel Cuvée. Low/mid-range. This is from Sonoma, CA. Medium-bodied, smooth, blackberry, nice, lightly spicy wood, rich, soft tannins. It is fruit and rich, and very drinkable. I heard that this winery had had trouble with tainted wine and had gotten a bad reputation, but they are getting back on track.
Rabbit Ridge with Drunken Goat. The wine overpowers the cheese, but they go well together and don't fight. The cheese is very mild.
Rabbit Ridge with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Good together! The cheese tastes almost meaty with this wine. It brings out the fruit and wood in the wine, but the cheese stands up to it. I think this is good together because the tannins are soft.
Rabbit Ridge with Pastore Sini. These are weird together. Not too bad, though. the wine is too heavy for it. Bitter aftertaste, but not bad.
Rex Goliath (the 40 lb. rooster) with Société Roquefort. I thought this would be horrible, but it’s ok. The cheese is so strong, and the wine stands up to it nicely since it has that tobacco taste. It’s a little bitter in the mix, but it’s not shocking.
Rombauer Vineyards 1998 (Tasted in 2004) Napa Valley. 13.2% alcohol. A couple I know brought this to me. They had bought it at the winery in CA. It was delicious. It was very full-bodied and dense with lots of blackberry aromas and flavors. Well-integrated tannins.
Rombauer Vineyards with 12 Month Manchego. I bought this Manchego because the woman who gave me the wine is part Spanish. They went very well together -- the thick, juicy fruit with the mellow, earthy cheese and fresh, tart quince paste.
Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 (Tasted in 2005) Mid-range price. From Sonoma County, CA. 13.8% alcohol. http://www.rodneystrong.com The bottle reads: "Sonoma County's magical combination of climate and soil produce some of the world's finest wine grapes. The rugged, rocky hills and valleys of the warmer regions of Sonoma County produce rich and distinct cabernet sauvignon. The 2002 vintage will go down as a classic thanks to an especially warm growing season. It displays vibrant aromas of cherry and black olive, with rich fruit and lingering spicy oak flavors." It is made by Rick Sayre and Tom Klein, but the wine is named after Rodney Strong, a dancer who started the winery. I didn't take good notes about this wine, but it was very fruity on the nose and the onset, juicy, rich, and full-bodied.
*Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon with Keen's Cheddar. A perfect match! The Cheddar is extra sharp and salty, as it tends to be in the British style. This type of Cheddar always goes well with big, juicy Cabs.
Three Thieves 2002 (Tasted in 2004) From California. It comes in a table jug with a screwtop, 1 liter for $9.99 at Grapevine. 13.9% alcohol. It is a deep purple color and smells cheap! It smells heavily of grapes. It reminds me of some cheap wines at the gas station. I know it is actually cheap, but I figured that since it looked so kitsch, it wouldn't actually taste cheap, but I was wrong. It's not bad. It's just way high alcohol and super fruity to where it makes me cringe a little. Reviews say that it has blackberry, spice, licorice, cherry, and smoke flavors. It does, but it also has a burning alcohol taste. I definitely taste the smoke and the cherries. It is made by three wine-makers in the Napa Valley in California who want to liberate fine wine so that it doesn't cost so much. On the label is a little Three Musketeers symbol. It is very cute. I'm sure I'll buy it again.
*Three Thieves with Irish Dubliner. Nutty, slightly sweet, Cheddar. This is excellent together! The alcohol works with the slightly sharp cheddar and the bitter nuts in the cheese mellow out the wild wine. Boy, this is really good together. The fruit is perfect with the cheese. I like that heavy fruit and alcohol burn with this smooth, nutty cheese. The wine is full and the cheese lasts a long time. It is very cooling and luscious together. Yum. This is excellent. This wine doesn't taste cheese anymore!
Travis Peak Select 2000 by Flat Creek (Tasted in 2004) $25 or so retail, but this was a gift. 12.5% alcohol. The label says that this wine tastes like black currants, black cherries, spices, and coffee. I didn't get any coffee at all. I tasted more mint, anise, tart cherries, blackberries, maybe raspberries. Firm tannins, high acidity. It smells rich and thick, lots of berries and something wild and tart. Spices, some smoke, and lots of anise on the finish. Flat Creek is a winery in Marble Falls. The Nabers decided to start a farm, and even with no great passion or background in wine, decided to plant grapes. They hired an Australian winemaker, Craig Parker, to help out. The 1999 vintage got a lot of recognition. So far, they only have a Cab and a Muscato Blanco, but plan to grow other grapes. http://www.flatcreekestate.com Apparently, the grapes for this wine were grown out in Lubbock where it is supposed to be good for Cabernet Sauvignon. In the plains of west Texas, there are warm days and cool nights, which make growing conditions ideal. These grapes were grown on rich red and ocher soils.
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