I know all about the gimmicks some vintners use to sell a subpar bottle.  You know – hide a bad wine behind a pretty label and market it to those of us who are drawn to wine on an inherently emotional level; however, that’s not the case for this California Cabernet Sauvignon.  I admit, the label is what drew me to the wine initially.  It’s a gorgeous montage of surrealist imagery.  A time traveller plunges into the depths of the ocean where she’s encased in a world of symbolism and metaphor.  You can draw your own interpretations. But the first sip told me that there’s more to this wine than just meets the eye.

The wine is first and foremost fruit forward.  On the nose, I instantly thought of crème de cassis as blackcurrant is both the predominate scent and flavour.  Taking a backseat are the aromas of wild plum, like the ones that grew in my back yard when I was a kid, along with the subtleties of pencil shavings – both of wood and of graphite – and warm green peppercorns. There’s also a faint sweetness that surprised me a little and provided a bridge between the nose and the palate.

While not a sweet wine, this Cab Sauv is definitely nuanced with sweet undertones that balance the medium tannins lingering on your tongue.  As the wine breathes, the flavour of blackcurrants melds into other dark fruits, plums, blueberries, like the chords of a guitar transitioning from a minor key to a major.  Renditions of acidic blackberries on the verge of ripening but not quite there yet, a wisp of pipe tobacco from somewhere faraway, refined notes of cedar with whispers of oak resolve into a smooth velvet finish, just the way I like it.

There really isn’t much information about the wine printed on the bottle, save to say that the artist who created this beautiful label is from Colorado.  That, in the end, was enough to sell me on this wine.  The label is a conversation piece in and of itself, and I don’t think I’ll be able to throw away the bottle any time soon.  Interestingly, there are two different labels for this particular blend.  The original artwork was divided in half so that some bottles are adorned with the right side of the painting while others with the left.  When the two bottles are placed side-by-side, they reveal the entire painting.  The label above is from the right side of the painting – it’s now my goal to track down its partner.  But back to what I was saying – the label information is sparse, without tasting notes or pairing ideas, so I went online to learn more about this wine.  It’s a certified green wine, which means it follows the Lodi Rules for sustainable wine growing.  It’s also a multi-vintage wine, composed primarily of 2018 with a measure of the softer, older 2017 vintage.  This rounds out the harsher angles of what might otherwise be a slightly abrasive young wine.

This wine made me crave something salty – specifically Parmesan cheese.  I added smoked sausage and salami on buttery crackers.  It would be wonderful served with a charcuterie board or panini sandwiches and would pair well with:

acorn squash with apples and sausage
pork tenderloin with plums
linguini with chard and bacon
heirloom tomato tartines
kielbasa with potatoes and cream

I always say that good wine doesn’t need to be expensive and I encourage you to pick up a bottle of this Cab Sauv, if you can find it.  For about $18.00 USD, it’s a great everyday wine that’s not going to break the bank.  Find out more here: https://www.borrowedtimewines.com

P.S.  This post is NOT sponsored. It’s a wine I truly enjoy and will purchase again in the future.  I want to bring more of these wine reviews and recommendations to the blog.  Let me know in the comments about any wines you’d like to see here!

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