Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon (81.7% Cabernet Sauvignon; 7% Merlot; 6% Petite Sirah; 2.8% Malbec; 2.5% Petit Verdot)
Region: California – Sonoma – USA
Cost: $15

Garnet in color with aromas of black cherry, black olive, mocha and vanilla.  Medium bodied showing flavors of mocha, raspberry, mint, plum, and tobacco.  Pairs well with grilled meats.

Recommendations: So on Friday night my wife went out with some of her friends which meant I stopped at the store on my way home for a steak and bottle of wine.  Sometimes a guy has to treat himself.  My steak on the grill (after a comedy of errors involving having to run BACK out to the store to get my propane tank refilled), I opened up the wine to try a small sip.  It really made me want my steak to cook faster.

While I didn’t really get the olive aromas that Sebastiani claimed (I’m not really a fan of olives, so maybe I just blocked them out), I did get the black cherry both on the nose and a bit on the palate.  Flavors of mocha and tobacco were a great pairing for my steak once it came off the grill, and the tannins on the finish weren’t terribly big and bold, but they were enough to balance the grilled meat, and that’s really what I was looking for.

I’ve visited Sebastiani Vineyards on a trip last year to San Francisco, and if you’re ever in the area I do recommend a stop in as they have a beautiful tasting room, and while I’ll admit that when I was picking up this bottle I didn’t recall their Cabernet from my trip out there, I was glad I grabbed this bottle and will keep it in mind for future steak dinners all by myself.

If you’re looking for the 2006 Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon and can’t find it, you can follow this link to some online retailers that can help you.