R Wines
Red Lion
Cabernet Sauvignon
Geyserville, California, USA2006
15%
$14.99 -- Whole Foods, Austin, TX
Color: Deep purple
Nose: Dark fruits,
Body: Medium
Front: Cassis, cream
Middle: Cedar
Back: Fig
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Screwcap
This is another Grateful Palate Imports project, and one that a lot of labels are working on: cheap good wine from California. I like the distinctly pagan and communistic label design, which is as crazy as the wheels of Ezekiel. The wine is almost completely sane, though, and quite tasty. It's not a perfect match for barbecue, which I think says several things. First, that I should not eat so much damned bbq. Second, that it's not overpoweringly fruity, a trait that I like in a Cabernet. I forget the third thing, but it was the coup de grace.
Tannins! That was it: these are not overpowering tannins, to be sure, but the wine has delightfully soft ones, a nice structure, and a wallop of alcohol (without being hot) at a great price.
