I first saw this wine about a month ago in my hometown club.  The interesting label and name immediately caught my attention and so I decided to look up the ratings on my phone.

I was pleased to discover that it got a 91 from Wine Enthusiast and 4.0 user rating on Vivino. That was convincing enough evidence to sell me.  I did not buy the wine that day because the bin was missing a sign (price) and I didn’t have time to wait in line.

Fast forward to last week, when I dropped by a different club and noticed that the bin of wine was almost empty.  A person who was hand selling wine that day told me that it had sold out in other stores and was popular.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to buy the wine that day either, but I was finally able to acquire a bottle yesterday to try last night.  Here are my thoughts:

The nose is awesome- like that of Intrinsic or any other high-quality Columbia Valley cab.  In a blind tasting I may even mistake it for something from Lodi or Paso Robles.  The fruit tends to jump out at you with Cabernet from these areas.

On the palate, however, the fruit is lost. The juice is tight and dry, with a heavy oak influence that causes the underside of your upper lip to stick to your two front teeth.  Gripping tannins create a length that is somewhat satisfying but again lacking the fruit that I had hoped for; the fruit that the nose had promised.

Instead, the wine finishes on a bitter note.  After a few hours, I felt that the wine started to declined and take on a balsamic profile that turned me off altogether.

The $15.99 price that I paid for this wine was fair. I would not want to pay much more than that, however.  I was honestly expecting so much more from this wine, but the price should have been an indicator that the wine is good but not great (for my palate).

Wine Enthusiast says that the wine has “undeniable appeal,” which I can’t argue with.  Silver Palm, Joel Gott Cab, & Freakshow lovers will appreciate this wine.  I could flip a coin between the four and not be disappointed with the outcome.  I give this wine 88 Points.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 88 Points

Purchased in: Buford, GA

ABV: 14.3%

Costco item number: 11767222