Spotlight on Cabernet
Agenais Rosé, Christophe Avi, Mary Taylor – 2024 $13.96
Inexpensive Rosé from Southwest has a special place in my heart and this one has won me over. Malbec may be the sexier grape for Rosé but both Cabernets make better Rosé. Both have better acidity which makes for the lip smacking crisp that I love. Aromatic on the nose with hints of green strawberries and pickled watermelon rinds on the palate. Pairs perfectly with summertime! – Josh Mizrahi, Sales Manager
Crémant de Bordeaux Rosé, Amélie Constant – 2019 $28.96
Wow, what a delight! There is not a lot of Cremant that makes its way out of Bordeaux to our shores, so I am always on the lookout for it. This has a lot going for it, including 100% old vine Cab Franc, 2 years of lees aging, and biodynamic vineyard practice. All that, and it’s a brut nature, so there’s no added sugar at dosage! Bouquets of cut flowers and red fruits on the nose lead you to a crisp, dry wine with a wonderful textural component and a lingering finish. Can’t wait to try it with some cheese! – Josh Mizrahi, Sales Manager
Hardin, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley – 2022 $34.96
The Hardin is truly one of the best values in Napa Valley. This bottling is a secret blend of top Napa producers that delivers incredible aromas, textures, and flavors for a fraction of the cost to its neighbors on the shelf. The pedigree of the fruit is paramount here, as top Napa estates who command much higher prices (up to $150 per bottle) sell their extra grapes to create this delicious wine. These low-yielding vineyards produce intensely coloured wines, with a texture that is both dense and smooth. Crème de cassis, spiced plums, subtle oak, and minerals welcome you in, while the finish leaves your palate craving another sip, or bottle! – Alex Malecki, Sales Manager
Gundlach Bundschu, Cabernet Sauvignon – 2021 $49.96
How do you pronounce it? “Gun-lock-bun-shoe.” How best to enjoy it? With family, friends, and cheeseburgers, sure, but the possibilities are endless. For me, this is California in a bottle. Cabernet Sauvignon grown on Rhinefarm creates wines of depth and power, well-integrated tannin structure, intense dark fruit and layers of cocoa and cassis. This wine is ready for you right now and will age beautifully up to ten years and beyond. – Simon Gouldstone, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant
Volker Eisele Family, Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – 2016 $64.96
No matter where a wine is from I get interested if it has a few things going on: a great vintage, time spent in the bottle, and a great price. This one has all that. An absolute barnstormer blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot fruit sourced from vines throughout the entire Volker Eisele estate allow this wine to show us how varying terrain, different clones, and different rootstocks produce a gossamer web of flavor identities brought together in a blend that is essentially a snapshot in time of a dynamic, ever-changing vineyard. The nose is effusive and extroverted with plum and ripe cherry and a kiss of peach and white pepper. Once in the mouth, this wine shows incredible oak integration, with flavors of dark cherry and cherry chocolate chip gelato. Nutmeg and vanilla keep us company on a long finish. – Simon Gouldstone, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant