2007 B Side Cabernet Sauvignon

Norm's Tasting Notes
by: Norm Bentley
North Georgia Wine Advisor
normwine@bellsouth.net





2007 B Side Cabernet Sauvignon
#nb-02-11


Once again this year we enjoyed our traditional Christmas dinner of Chateaubriand, fresh asparagus, and roasted new potatoes. The secret to Chateaubriand, as in most French cooking , is in the sauce. Or, as we say in this country, the gravey. The tenderloin is cooked medimum rare, and is smothered in a rich meaty gravey, which takes much more time to prepare than the meat.

If you are going to spend four to six hours to prepare a meal, then you should choose a really good bottle of wine to accompany the feast. We chose the 2007 B Side Cabernet Sauvignon, from Don Sabastiani and Sons. The big, full-bodied Cab is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Petite Sirah. It was a great choice for our Christmas dinner.

This Napa Cab was aged in French oak for two years and comes in at 13.8% alcohol. It has tons of flavor, and gobs of fruit concealed in its complex layers of cherries and dark berries, which finish with sturdy tannins, offering a long lifespan. The "Wine Enthusiast" had this to say; "Holds its own in a tasting of Napa Cabs that cost, three, four, even five times as much. Made with a drop of Petite Sirah, it is dry, firmly tannic and complex, with black currant, beef jerky, miso, pepper spice and smoky oak flavors. - 91"

The wine was named B Side to recall the days of the 45 rpm record, which had the hit on the A side, and another song on the B, or flip side, which sometimes became a bigger hit than the A side. Coming from the eastern side of Napa, while a majority of big Cabs come from the western side of the valley, makes this B Side a big hit! Pair it with steaks or chops, or hearty stews, it stands up well to any meat dish, but was perfect with our Chateaubriand. Norm's score is an 89.


Price - $20 - $25
Score - 89


Norm

Norm's Tasting Notes can also be accessed at his Blog: http://normwine.blogspot.com/

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