Amizetta Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 – Napa Valley, California
Cost: $22.99/bottle
It’s quite a surprise to find an 11 year-old California cabernet at a wine store these days— but I came across this for just a penny under $23 and thought it certainly worth checking out. My palate tends to prefer older more mature wines for their complexity and intrigue which, personally, I find a most exhilarating experience. This Amizetta exhibited telltale typical mature California fruit. The nose is initially dominated by spearmint, ripe currants and black cherry notes. The wine evolves over time in the glass revealing cola notes while maintaining its mintiness. In the mouth, it remains moderately full bodied with supple tannins, at a virtually low acidity (but with plenty of fruit that wraps the tastebuds). It was quite easy to drink and remains soft on the palate, which one wouldn’t normally expect of an aged wine— but it’s possible this wine may have seen better days early on, and perhaps I caught it on the tail end of its peak drinkability. For $23 a bottle, it’s a decent value, and I may look for more recent vintages of this wine in the future.
Rating: 89
Karl Lawrence – Aldin Red Table Wine 2006 – Napa Valley, California
Cost: $29/bottle
Just released by the Karl Lawrence winery as an adjunct, this is really an experimental blended wine of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc. Notes of cherry, Flintstone’s vitamins, sweet oak and berries are consistent on both the nose and palate. However, I must add that it tasted quite young and in need of rest for a few more months, as it appeared very monotone and unevolved. Still it is medium-bodied, with fair levels of fruit that need to settle for it to bolster the structural integrity of the wine. I opened the wine not 24 hours from taking it out of the box, which was shipped the prior day to my home. Will have to explore this further, perhaps later in the year.
Rating: 87
Tags: CABERNET SAUVIGNON, CELLAR NOTES, RED BLENDS, WINE
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