Powers Winery
Cabernet Sauvignon
Reserve
Champoux vineyard
Horse Heaven Hills
Kennewick, Washington, USA
2006
14.5%
$21.99 -- Costco, Austin, TX
Color: Medium to deep strawberry
Nose: Cherry, steak (or maybe shrimp?), vanilla extract, mint chocolate
Body: Full
Front: Tart cherries
Middle: Stewed plum, orange, bread
Back: Sage, licorice
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork
The nose on this wine is lush and really, almost good enough to eat. I know that shrimp may seem like a weird descriptor, but there it is. It's fascinating. I've had good luck with the Champoux vineyard before; it goes into one of my favorite wines, an Andrew Will blend. Go here for a little more on the Powers folks. And go to Costco tomorrow, or you won't get it at this price, because I will beat you to it.
The palate is tasty, too, though I suspect some people will find it odd. The tannins are fine, and seem to be carrying a sort of tangy desert sage thing, which will make some people proclaim against the smoothness of the wine. Of course it needs to breathe, and these will rapidly soften up. It's good with food; the tartness of the fruit came out with the Basque chicken-and-chorizo I made tonight.
