August 9, 2013 – Wine: 2010 Uppercut Cabernet

I know the winery that makes this wine.  I was first introduced to the 2007 vintage during a winery visit.  This wine was brought to market to fill the sub-$25 gap that the recession had made popular.  As I started to entertain more, I was kicking myself for not having bought some of that 2007 wine.  Then, last fall I was browsing the Sunset Magazine annual wine list and noticed that this wine scored a gold rating as a terrific value Napa Valley Cabernet, so I bought a few.  Tonight I brought this bottle to dinner, but most of the guests enjoyed a cold beer instead.  I was able to work my way through a couple of glasses and found the wine to be quite nice.  It tasted like it was made from $20 wine grapes, but the signature style of the winemaker was evident in this wine.  Nice balance and a good finish frame the flavors of blackberry, leather, dried cherry, sweet black prunes, and minerals.  Let this breathe for at least 30 minutes to allow the tannins to settle.  I’m hoping another year in the cellar will help this young wine get even better.

2010 Uppercut Cabernet Sauvignon