Bogle Cabernet Sauvignon (California, 2006)

1.5 stars (out of 5)

Encouraged by a delicious Bogle Petite Sirah that we tried last week, I thought I would pick up the Bogle Cabernet Sauvignon – a varietal that we normally enjoy. I am sorry to say that we were sorely disappointed with this one. The nose was mostly rubbing alcohol, even after it had opened for an hour or so. All three tasters agreed that the wine lacks distinct flavor, but tasted like sour grapes. It seemed to me that the tannins were out of balance; they were too pronounced without enough structure to support them. As a result the wine tasted tart.

We didn’t finish it – which is pretty unusual for us even with a bad bottle of wine – until later when we'd already burned through a second bottle. Thankfully, we had some others to get us through the evening. Read on for notes on those….

Bogle Petite Sirah (Central Coast, California, 2006)

4 stars (out of 5)

Although perhaps a bit too heady for Thanksgiving, we all agreed that this is an excellent comfort wine. The nose had cherry, ripe blackberry, with a tart spiciness. We tasted chocolate and spice in the sip, especially once the wine had opened up and some of the alcohol taste had dissipated. The tannins were nicely balanced; as Kelly said, this wine “doesn’t taste like a migraine.” Though probably not our choice for Thanksgiving – it’s robust flavor might be a little much with such an assortment of foods – we agreed that this wine was highly drinkable and could possibly get you into a nip of trouble.