Sunday, January 9, 2011

Wine Review 1: Educated Guess Cabernet


The time has arrived for the first wine review on this blog. Tonight I'll be reviewing the 2007 vintage Educated Guess, a Cabernet from Napa Valley, California. This wine is cellared and bottled at roots run deep winery in St. Helena which is located in the northern part of the state.  Before I continue with my review of this wine I'd like to give you some information on the Cabernet grape and the varietal. It is widely accepted in the world of wine that Cabernet is the world's best varietal. Furthermore, this is a big grape with thick skin and when made into wine it provides flavors of blackberries,black currants, raspberry and blueberry. In addition to the mass amount of fruit flavor this varietal provides, this type of wine also goes through heavy oak treatment which gives this type of wine the earthy wood flavors people love in Cabernet. Other facts about Cabernet are: these wines tend to age well, so you can buy a few bottles and drink one now and cellar the rest and drink at a future date. Not all Cabernet will stand the test of time, some are good to go now and not later. I recommend you age this type of wine only if you are paying upwards of 25 dollars a bottle if not just go ahead and drink now and enjoy them along side steak and cheese's such as Stilton, goat , blue, and Cheddar.  Now back to the review on hand. 2007 Educated Guess... I've been talking up this wine since I first had it in January of 2010. This wine showed beautiful character and presence, and a complexity rivaling many of the more expensive Cabernet on the market today i.e. DuckHorn and Jordan. However, unlike Jordan or DuckHorn which carry a hefty price tag and get better with some cellar time, Educated guess only cost $ 19.99 on average and really doesn't benefit much with the aging process. If you do age this wine though I would say don't let it sit for more than 2 years. Like most Cabernet the abv on this wine is on the high side at 14.5 % , but it still drinks smooth and clean all the way through to the finish. Lastly, I'd have to say this wine is a good introductory Cabernet for those looking to get into this varietal. Its soft and easy to drink, it falls on the fruitier side rather than the high tannin- dryer- more classy Cabernet's. Enjoy Educated Guess alongside lamb and strong cheeses and make sure to use a red wine glass to fully enjoy all the great complexities of this varietal.

Color: Crimson on the rim of the wine. Violet at the core. It leaves behind a medium amount of legs on the glass.

Nose: Gentle and very aromatic. Plenty of red fruit in the forefront: Cranberry and raspberry hit your nose first followed by some mellow black fruit: black cherry and some plum.
the tannins in this wine are in check and subtle.

Palate: Here is where this wine earns its grade. explodes with complex flavor of fruit and earth. The acid of the wine is mellow and not over powering. Hints of wood and light vanilla appear. Its a firework show in your mouth.

Finish: medium to long. its soft and crisp all the way through. it really finishes silky soft and with plenty of texture.  

Rating: 89 out of 100

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