Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon (87% Cabernet Sauvignon; 7% Cabernet Franc; 4% Petit Verdot; 2% Malbec)
Region: California – USA
Cost: $20 (SRP)
Dark red in the glass with aromas of baking spices, toasted oak, and chocolate. Â Flavors of cherry, plum, currant with soft tannins. Â Pairs well with steak, duck, wild game, and mushroom dishes.
Recommendations: Any time I see a suggestion that reads “steak” I have a hard time declining the invitation, and so it was with the 2007 Blackstone Sonoma Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Â After a long week, a steak dinner sounded delicious, and I had just the wine at home to go with it.
While Blackstone labels this wine a Cabernet Sauvignon, it does have a few other grapes blended in (though still meeting the requirements to be listed as a single varietal), and these certainly added to the wine. Â While I didn’t a lot of the nose listed in the tasting notes due to a lot of alcohol on the nose (14.5%/vol), I definitely got flavors of cherry and a nice smooth tannic finish that I attributed to the Petit Verdot in the blend.
When paired with what I think may be the most perfect steak I’ve ever cooked, the smooth finish and full-bodied flavors were a perfect match. Â While I enjoyed the wine after I had finished dinner, this is very much a bottle that should at least be started with a meal. Â The full-bodied flavors and structure lend to it being a good pairing for bolder meals like a steak with a mushroom topping.
For the price ($20 suggested retail price), it’s a good quality steak wine that won’t disappoint and one I would recommend giving a try to the next time you’re looking at a steak dinner. Â If you can’t find the 2007 Blackstone Sonoma Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon at your local store, you can get it by going to this website.
