Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Rubicon Estate, CASK Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford, 2005

The American oak, despite the use of larger 500 liter barrels, is evident on the Rubicon Estate CASK Cabernet Sauvignon, Rutherford, 2005. This deep purple wine displays intense smokey oak and spice aromas emblematic of American oak, which almost overwhelm the intense cassis, blackberry and more subtle violet notes. The attack in concentrated and almost sweet, with a creamy mouth feel and rich cherry and chocolate notes. At 14.9% alcohol, the wine flirts dangerously with the 15%+ limit where the high concentration of alcohol kills the yeats cells and slows or stops the alcoholic fermentation, leaving residual sugar and making the wine sweet, but vulnerable to the eventual development or Brettanomyces Bruxellensis, or "Brett" with its typical horse stable aromas. The 2005 CASK is slightly over extracted, making it too young to drink now; re-taste in 5 years. Score 16/10.

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