2007 Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2007 Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon hails from Paso Robles, California. The Liberty is available at Costco for $8.00 after a coupon discount and it clocks in at 13.5% ABV. According to the winemaker, the wine spent some time in American and French oak barrels (10% new) and was blended three months before bottling.

Right off the bat, I was greeted by the Liberty's inky purple color. The nose exhibited a lot of fruit (mainly berries?) with a tiny hint of spice. It's a very fruity wine with good mouth feel and silky tannins. The finish was a little shorter than expected.

The verdict: For $8 dollars, the Liberty is a great value. It's very approachable now and would have the most appeal for individuals who gravitate towards very fruit forward cabernets.

The (Future) Standard Pour Rating System

I have always been skeptical of the various rating systems that many publications and wine critics use in rating wines. For my palate, I probably would not be able to distinguish the difference between an 89-point wine and a 91-point wine. In addition, my emphasis on affordability (i.e., my budget) makes most wines that receive 95 points and above out of reach. Anyway, I am in the middle of devising some kind of rating system that will standardize my opinions of each wine. Stay tuned!

2006 Epicuro Salice Salentino Riserva

The 2006 Epicuro Salice Salentino Riserva is an Italian blend that is available at Trader Joe's for a very reasonable $5.99. The wine is composed of 80% Negro Amaro and 20% Malvasia Nera. If I get a response from the importer, D'Aquino Italian Importing (www.daquino.com), I will post more details about how this wine was made. The Salice Salentino clocks in at 13% ABV.

The wine had an appealing ruby color. The nose showed concentrated berry fruit and a distinct floral component with a hint of minerality. The fruit and floral aromas continuing on the palate. The mouth feel did not impress with the wine being less viscous than expected with a medium body at most, definitely less than what one would expect from a wine at 13% ABV. The finish was short and dry, with the floral component lingering until the next sip.

This wine is well made and the floral note is something to experience. This Epicuro is a bargain at $5.99 and has my recommendation.