Full Review

Bonterra

Bonterra
2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, California

Pair this wine with:
Beef Vegetables

Category: Cabernet Sauvignon

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 13.8% RS: <1%
Organically Grown Grapes-Certified Organic-Demeter Certified
Bronze Medal
Recommended
$16

Bonterra
2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, California

Pair this wine with:
Beef Vegetables

Category: Cabernet Sauvignon

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 13.8% RS: <1%
Deep purple color. Interesting aromas and flavors of lanolin, sesame brittle, wood chips, plum tart, and hint of cream soda with a dryish light body and a smooth, short finish with no oak flavor. A dry, oaky red for the table.

Tasting Info

Wine Glass Style: Juicy & Smooth, Oaky & Quaffable
Aroma Aroma: lanolin, sesame brittle, wood chips, plum tart, and hint of cream soda
Taste Flavor: lanolin, sesame brittle, wood chips, plum tart, and hint of cream soda
Sweetness Sweetness: Dryish
Enjoy Enjoy: Now on its own and with food
Recipes Pairing: Pot Roast, Steak & Potatoes, Beef Stew
Bottom Line Bottom Line: A dry, oaky red for the table.

The Producer

Fetzer Vineyards

The Producer
12901 Old River Road
Hopland, CA 95449
USA
1 707-744-1250

Their Portfolio

89 1000 Stories 2017 Bourbon Barrel-Aged, Zinfandel, California 15.7% (USA) $19.00.
BR Bonterra 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, California 13.8% (USA) $16.00. - Bronze Medal
92 Bonterra 2017 Merlot, Mendocino County 14.1% (USA) $16.00.
87 Bonterra 2018 Chardonnay, California 13.5% (USA) $14.00.
85 Bonterra 2018 Sauvignon Blanc, California 13.3% (USA) $14.00.
88 Bonterra 2018 Rosé, Mendocino County 13% (USA) $16.00.
88 Bonterra 2017 Equinox Red, California 14.5% (USA) $16.00.
89 Bonterra 2017 Zinfandel, Mendocino County 14.8% (USA) $16.00.
85 Bonterra 2018 Blue Heron Vineyard Dry Muscat, Muscat, Mendocino County 13% (USA) $16.00.
87 Bonterra 2018 Young Red, Mendocino County 13.4% (USA) $16.00.
85 Bonterra NV Red Blend, California 14.5% (USA) $23.00.
86 Bonterra NV Sauvignon Blanc, California 13.2% (USA) $23.00.
91 Bonterra 2018 Pinot Noir, Mendocino County 13.8% (USA) $18.00.
89 Bonterra 2019 Pinot Noir, Mendocino County 13.8% (USA) $18.00.
88 Casillero del Diablo 2018 Reserva Carmenere, Central Valley 13.5% (Chile) $12.00.
89 Casillero del Diablo 2019 Reserva, Carmenere, Central Valley 13.5% (Chile) $12.00.
88 Cono Sur 2020 Bicicleta Reserva, Chardonnay, Chile 13% (Chile) $8.00.
86 Frontera 2019 After Dark Red Blend, Central Valley 12% (Chile) $6.00.
85 Frontera 2019 After Dark, Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Valley 12% (Chile) $6.00.
BR Frontera 2019 After Dark, Sauvignon Blanc, Central Valley 12.5% (Chile) $6.00. - Bronze Medal
87 Trivento 2018 Amado Sur Red Blend, Malbec, Mendoza 14% (Argentina) $18.00.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine Glass Cabernet.jpg
Serve in a Cabernet Wine Glass
Cabernet Sauvignon is a variety that is the source of some of the world’s most celebrated and longest-lived reds. Grown in many countries, it is most famous in Bordeaux, where it is the principal grape in red Bordeaux as well as in California – especially Napa Valley- where it is labeled by its varietal name.

Cabernet Sauvignon has aromas and flavors of black currant, cassis, black cherry and sometimes plum (in warmer regions or vintages). Quite rich on the palate, the variety is very tannic, giving its wines a bitter edge in their youth, but also providing the wines with great aging potential, with top flight examples drinking well for as long as four or five decades. Given their richness and flavor profile, wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon need to be paired with rich red meats, such as steaks and roasts as well as game.

Besides France and California, other countries with warm growing regions also excel with Cabernet Sauvignon. These include the Maipo and Colchagua Valleys in Chile as well as the Bolgheri district, situated on the coast of Tuscany.