Chappellet 2014 Mountain Cuvée Proprietor's Blend Red Wine, $25.49-$32.99, 91 points, poured core black quickly grading to purple/red toward the clear wine ring.
Aromatic with a touch of cinnamon, an earthy red raspberry, hints of black pepper, soft lavender, and damson plum.
Near full-bodied with good acidity, a grainy underlayment of fine tannin, balanced complex flavor profile of red and black fruits, subtle cooking spices, and a bit of oak culminating in a very long finish of plum accented by an easy spiciness, and a potent, though not overwhelming 14.9% alcohol which demanded a gestalt perspective, because it really didn't pair as well as I'd hoped with my hot chili.
This Bordeaux-styled Red Wine consisted of 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 12% Malbec, 11% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc.
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ok, lots to say here. Thanks for this review because I've stared at this wine in shops for I don't know how long and have not pulled the trigger. And I'm a little pissed off about that. :) See, years ago - actually not THAT long ago, I used to buy the Chappellet Signature Cabernet which cost about $25-$30. This wine, cost about $15 then. Since then, the prices have gone up up up...way more than comparable Napa Cabs. Seems like you were happy with the value here, but not the food pairing. I can get that depending on how spicy your chili was. I'd like more Cabernet in this blend, but we'll see - perhaps I'll give it a whirl. Finally, what is a damson plum?
ReplyDeleteI hear you John! Some wines are price stable, but there's a number of genre wines which keep rising in price; of course 'cult' wines will always surpass inflation, but most solid wineries keep increasing their prices; just think of all the taxes and fees California imposes on these entrepreneurs!
ReplyDeleteOne thing about tasting NEW wines is finding fantastic deals. E.G., Aviary
Damson plum