Yellow Tail Shiraz Cabernet 2009 - $7

David: Medium purple in color. Nose of plum. Prominent oak aromas, vanilla. A tad much but not so bad. Fruity with a little sweetness. Classic Yellow Tail likibility and lack of complexity. Gentle tannins. As usual, a decent wine for the price.
Score: 3.8/5

Cono Sur Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 - $8

David: Light purple in color. Very interesting aromatics. At first, it was briary, with blackberry and ripe, foxy dark fruit. After a while it developed more of a currant bun nose. Both were enjoyable. Medium to light bodied with good acidity. Fruity. Not too complex. Light tannins. But quite enjoyable. A great value for $8.
Score: 4.0/5

Dancing Bull Cabernet 2007 - $9

David: Color is light crimson. Nose of black current and black cherry with cocoa, smoke and vanilla is pleasant enough. Medium bodied with medium to low acidity. Quite fruity, maybe a little on the fake fruit (e.g. twizlers) side. Has quite a bit of residual sweetness which I find not too pleasing given the lack of tannins and insufficient structure overall. But overall, it is a decent pizza wine though it is not hard to fine better ones for the price.
Score: 3.5/5

Hess Allomi Cabernet Napa 2006 - $19

David: Color is purple red. Nose is extraordinarily complex. Besides red fruits, you can find dill, vanilla, coco, baking spices, smoke, sulfer and other aromas depending on your imagination. Someone writing a review said shoe polish which is perhaps an appropriate description of certain hard to describe earthy notes. Medium acidity and body. Black cherry, red currants and berries are prevalent. Tannins are powerful but smooth. Finish ends in chocolate covered raisin. Not as exquisite as the other Hess we had but probably a better value.
Score 4.2/5

Jessica: Spicy, herbal and mineral were the tastes that stood out. Dark fruits in the backdrop, but mainly I noted pepper and thyme as the promanant tastes. Strong flavor, but well balanced with silky tannins that did not over power. Complex layered tastes. Enjoyable overall.
4.4/5

Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon Indian Wells 2007 - $14

David:
A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Syrah and 1% Malbec. Purply red in color. Nose has dark fruit, vanilla and spice box, maybe leather. Light acidity, full bodied with black cherry and berries. Fine tannins are followed by blackberry jam which lingers into a long pleasant finish. Similar in a way to the Hess we drank recently but (unsurprisingly given the price difference) not quite as good, but very pleasant nonetheless. Low acidity makes it fun to squish around in mouth.
Score: 4.1/5

Jessica:
Delightfully robust wine, dark fruits evident in nose, slight bark, earthy scent. Long finish, jammy. Drank this happily.
4.2/5

Hess Collection Mount Veeder Cabernet 2006 - Napa Valley - $36

David:
86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Malbec, 1% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot. A mountain wine with flavors of mountain berries. Fragrant nose of dark fruit, coffee, vanilla and hint of graphite. Tender on front of the mouth with low acidity. Rich currant and berry flavor on the palate followed by super-smooth and well integrated tannins. Continues to a very long, nicely layered finish with boysenberry and liquorish essence. A beautiful wine.
Score: 4.7/5

Jessica: This wine had a delicious bouquet, inviting nose containing fruits and vanilla. A subtle metallic essence present. Deep, complicated and a very satisfying length. Tannins not too bitter. Good with meats and cooked vegetables; contrasted unfavorably with a salad with a vinegar dressing and tomatoes.
Score: 4.7/5

Bogle Cabernet 2007 - $11

David: Deep purple in color. Nose indicates raspberries and cherries and just a hint of vanilla, leather and cedar. Cherries feature prominently on the palate with mild tannins and modest acidity, little or no spice at the end. A little simple but pleasant to drink. Was a little too weak for the fatty "special hamburgers" (Julia Child recipe) that we had it with. A decent red especially for the price.
Score: 3.9/5

Jessica: Fruity, drinkable. Light, seems juicy. I liked it, but it was not especially memorable.
4/5

De Loach Russian River Cabernet 2000 - $15

This 10-year old wine showed tannins on the bottle. The color is ruby red. The nose is quite dramatic. I believe the dominant scent is cedar with leather and red fruit. Cherries and red currants flavors dominate on the palate and the nose remains throughout. Medium bodied and medium acidity. The finish is a little quick with very little spiciness or follow-through. Overall, a nice wine to drink but perhaps lacks complexity.
Score: 3.4/5

Jessica:
David had to point out the strong cedar smell but once he mentioned it, that was all I could smell/taste. At first I really liked that and felt like a sip was like taking a breath in snow-covered cedar woods, but I agree with david that the flavors and smell were short, depth shallow. I did enjoy it enough to say I would buy it again.
score: 4.1/5

Crios de Susana Balbo 2007 - Cabernet Sauvignon - $13

David:
This is a lighter tasting cabernet from Argentina. Dark violet in color. Dark fruit tastes dominate, currents, plum and raspberries. Light on spice. Long finish. Versatile, should go well with lots of foods. We had it with chicken and it went well.

Score: 4.0/5

Jessica:
This is a really nice dark red that is not over-powering. It hit the pallet softly but had a deep complexity that kept it interesting.

Score: 4.5/5