Full Review

Smith & Elliott

Smith & Elliott
2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley

Pair this wine with:
Beef Vegetables

Category: Cabernet Sauvignon

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 14.1%
Certified Sustainable
89 Points
Silver Medal
Highly Recommended
$16
Best Buy

Smith & Elliott
2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley

Pair this wine with:
Beef Vegetables

Category: Cabernet Sauvignon

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 14.1%
Dark garnet color. Aromas and flavors of violet candies, vanilla cream, red cherry, and nutmeg with a round, lively, dry medium-to-full body and a warming, medium-length finish with accents of black cherry, blackberry, vanilla cream, and pipe tobacco with chewy, firm tannins and light oak flavor. A solid Cabernet for everyday dinner pairings.

Tasting Info

Wine Glass Style: New World
Aroma Aroma: violet candies, vanilla cream, red cherry, and nutmeg
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with accents of black cherry, blackberry, vanilla cream, and pipe tobacco
Sweetness Sweetness: Dry
Enjoy Enjoy: Now-3 years with food
Recipes Pairing: Pot Roast, Steak & Potatoes, Beef Stew
Bottom Line Bottom Line: A solid Cabernet for everyday dinner pairings.

The Producer

Plata Wine Partners

The Producer
855 Bordeaux Way, Suite 100
Napa, CA 94558
USA
1 707-261-8740

Their Portfolio

91 Abrupt Vineyards 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 13.5% (USA) $60.00.
91 Abrupt Vineyards 2019 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 13.5% (USA) $60.00.
87 Butterfly Fields 2021 Chardonnay, California 14.1% (USA) $11.00.
90 Crossways Winery 2019 Pinot Noir, California 13.5% (USA) $32.00.
85 Crossways Winery 2020 Chardonnay, California 13.5% (USA) $28.00.
86 Dark Cherrycream 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Monterey 13.8% (USA) $13.00.
88 Dekreme 2022 Cuvee Brut Sparkling Wine, Monterey County 11.5% (USA) $15.00.
88 Dekreme 2022 Cuvee Brut Sparkling Wine, Mendocino County 11.5% (USA) $15.00.
88 High Roller 2021 Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County 14.1% (USA) $14.00.
89 High Roller 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles 13.5% (USA) $14.00.
88 Laurel Cellars 2021 Pinot Noir, Monterey County 14.2% (USA) $12.00.
85 Laurel Cellars 2021 Chardonnay, Monterey County 14% (USA) $11.00.
87 Pink Moon 2023 California 12.5% (USA) $10.00.
BR Popcorn 2019 Chardonnay, California 13.5% (USA) $16.00. - Bronze Medal
85 Sea Wave Wines 2020 Low-Alcohol Rose, California 7% (USA) $4.00.
87 Sea Wave Wines 2019 Low-Alcohol, Pinot Noir, California 7% (USA) $4.00.
BR Sea Wave Wines 2019 Low-Alcohol, Chardonnay, California 7% (USA) $4.00. - Bronze Medal
90 Seven Rings 2020 Chardonnay, Napa Valley 14.2% (USA) $21.00.
94 Seven Rings 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley 13.5% (USA) $34.00.
94 Seven Rings 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, Napa Valley 13.5% (USA) $39.00.
88 Smith & Elliott 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 14.1% (USA) $26.00.
89 Smith & Elliott 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 13.8% (USA) $32.00.
86 Smith & Elliott 2021 Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast 13.8% (USA) $15.00.
87 Smith & Elliott 2020 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 13.8% (USA) $16.00.
87 Smith & Elliott 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 13.5% (USA) $18.00.
89 Smith & Elliott 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley 14.1% (USA) $16.00.
87 Smith & Elliott 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 13.8% (USA) $26.00.
90 Smith & Elliott 2022 Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast 14.1% (USA) $15.00.
88 Thirty Degrees 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles 13.5% (USA) $34.00.
90 Tributus 2018 Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 13.8% (USA) $44.00.
89 Tributus 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles 13.8% (USA) $24.00.
93 True Oak Estate 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley 13.8% (USA) $39.00.
89 True Oak Estate 2020 Red Blend, Napa Valley 13.8% (USA) $34.00.
93 True Oak Estate 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 13.5% (USA) $18.00.
94 True Oak Estate 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley 13.8% (USA) $28.00.
89 True Oak Vineyards 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 13.5% (USA) $66.00.
90 True Oak Vineyards 2020 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 13.5% (USA) $56.00.
87 True Oak Vineyards 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 13.5% (USA) $19.00.
86 Verada 2019 Tri County, Merlot, San Luis Obispo, Monterey 13.5% (USA) $16.00.
85 Verada 2019 Reserve, Pinot Noir, Tri-County 14.2% (USA) $18.00.
87 Wellsley Farms 2021 Pinot Noir, Tri-County 14.1% (USA) $9.00.
85 Wellsley Farms 2021 Chardonnay, California 14.1% (USA) $6.00.

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.