January 27, 2023

2020 JAQK Cellars High Roller Cabernet Sauvignon

This marvelous wine almost demands the accompaniment of a few real logs in the fireplace, a cold winter’s night, and some comfortable seating or room to sprawl. In our house, the first sip garnered [...]
February 3, 2022

2018 Frei Brothers Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

What a great taste treat! The 2018 version of the wine was just rated among Wine Spectator’s top-ten value wines of 2021, with a list price of (never-pay-this-much) $27. Wine Spectator gave the wine 90 points. So, too, did Wine Enthusiast, saying, “Opening on a hearty nose of clove, this[...]
October 7, 2021

Chuck Wagner’s Nonvintage, Multi-Year Bonanza Cabernet Sauvignon

This is the fourth incarnation of Chuck Wagner’s multi-year, nonvintage Bonanza Cabernet Sauvignon. I couldn’t find any high-level (e.g., Parker’s Wine Advocate, Vinous, Wine Spectator) reviews, but some clear voices have chimed [...]
October 17, 2020

2015 Concrete Cabernet Sauvignon

This is a big, delightfully bold Cabernet Sauvignon from the ever-more-popular Lodi appellation. My own tasting tells me that the winery itself got it right with these comments: “This Cabernet Sauvignon has a beautiful [...]