Varietal: Â Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Â Lodi, Clarksburg, Sonoma, CA – USA
Cost: Â $11 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Â A classic example of the varietal, Bogle’s Cabernet is crafted with notes of tea and tobacco leaf on the nose. Plump, red cherries and black currants round out the mid palate, with supple eart tones balancing the fruit. Spicy American oak offers clove and pipe tobacco on the finish, with chalky tannins and a sturdy and satisfying structure. This wine is enjoyable now, but can be cellared for 6-9 years. Pair with a variety of meat dishes, rich sauces, or aged cheeses. Try a ribeye with blue cheese butter.
My Review: Â Ah the budget California Cab. Often something that I’ve avoided because of my general distaste for big, overly fruity wines, AKA, the fruit bomb. That’s not to say I dislike fruit in my wine, only that I like something a bit more as well. Fortunately, Bogle has managed to create a Cabernet that’s budget friendly while avoiding the fruit bomb label.
On the nose I picked up tea leaves more than tobacco, and the cherry was more prominent for me than the black currant, but I may just be more sensitive to that flavor. I did, however, enjoy the bit of earthiness and pipe tobacco (especially since I enjoy a pipe from time to time) that I found towards the end of the wine.
We paired the 2011 Bogle Cabernet with a dinner from our Blue Apron box that included roast beef and vegetables, and I thought it was a good pairing personally. Perhaps the best part of the wine was given that it wasn’t a one-note fruit spectacular was that it was enjoyable to sip on before and after we’d eaten, not requiring food to be enjoyed and making it a good option for picking up for parties when you’re looking to bring more than one bottle, but without breaking the bank.
Bogle has recently been impressing me (as is evidenced by the number of reviews I’ve done) with their ability to create quality budget wines. They’re by no means a wine I would hold up as a perfect example of the particular grape, not are they what I’d pull out for that special night in with my wife, but they are perfect for middle of the week wines and several of them will be making appearances again in my home when the weather warms and the grilling resumes – including this cabernet.
Editor’s Note: I received this wine as a free sample for review
