This wine presented some challenges for me. On the nose there are lots of traditional cab smells. Lovely deep rich cassis, cherries and other dark fruits and there is something there. Not awful just not perfect. On the mid pallet the flavors match the bouquet. There are lots of deep rich cab flavors, cassis, cherries, some sweetness, all in all quite nice. On the finish there are some lovely tannins with a touch of dryness. Then there is something there just just is out of place. The descriptions mention things like eucalyptus and herbal and earthy notes. I can’t quite nail it down but that might be it. I let it decant for about 1/2 hour and it seemed to fade slightly. Given the price this is a deep rich wine, quite a bargain. I am pretty impressed with it. 89 or so. If some aging let that out of place flavor and smell disappear this could easily move into an 90-91 range it’s that good. Don’t let the out of place smell and taste distract you. I recommend you give it a try and decide for yourself. We paired it with a pork sausage with rice and carrots (and chocolate brownies of course) and it complemented the meal quite well!
Update two days after first opening it I tried it and the wine is definitely getting better and better. I would say this bodes well for aging!
From the LCBO web site:
RINGBOLT CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2007 Margaret River Western Australia This round-textured well-balanced Cab is a winner every year. Delicious as always it features ripe blackcurrant black cherry chocolate licorice eucalyptus and cedar. Dry medium full-bodied with gentle tannins this wine would be a terrific match for rack of lamb or thick and juicy New York steaks. 606624 $19.95
Featured 3/28/2009
What winecurrent.com had to say:
14.5% alcohol (Previously reviewed in winecurrent) Heres a Cabernet Sauvignon that drinks like it should cost a fair bit more. It features nice complexity on the nose with cassis and mocha mingling alongside soft herbal and earthy characters as well hints of vanilla and black pepper. Its well structured with firm ultra ripe tannins creating great balance. This is a rich full-bodied wine that is expressive from the first sniff through to the expansive finish. If you can get your hands on some Kangaroo filet its a quality regional match if not a grilled pepper steak would do quite nicely. Very impressive. (Mark Tandan) (606624) $19.95 Rating 4.5/5
Check the LCBO web site for stock
