The StoryThe Substance Cs Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from several carefully selected vineyards located in various AVAs inside the Columbia Valley AVA in Washington. Check out the Wines of Substance website for vineyard details. This is the base Cabernet for the Substance line, the others are single-vineyard wines selling at several times the price. But being the value offering does not hold this Cabernet Sauvignon down, Wine Spectator (also gave it 91 points) named it #49 in the Top Wines of the Year, not Top Value wines, #49 out of all the wines they reviewed. Jeff Dunnuck (also gave it 93 points) said this Cab would sell for 3 or 4 times the price if it said Napa on the label.Substance wines are one of Charles Smiths' wine labels, he was behind House Wines, Kung Fu Girl Riesling, Boom Boom Syrah, and Velvet Devil Merlot among others. He produces wines that receive 100 points and can get quite expensive and is also one of the most reliable value winemakers. This wine was fermented with natural yeast, which is the yeast that naturally floats on the air and sticks to the grape skins. This Cab was aged for 12 months (“on lees”) in 50% new and 50% reused French oak Bordeaux sized barrels. The alcohol content is 14.5%.The Tasting NotesThe color is deep, dark, opaque purple. The nose is rich, ripe fruit with a touch of spice, there is blackberry, molasses, plum, a hint of smoke, baking spice, licorice, and pepper. This is a balanced wine, nothing is over-the-top, it is sleek and focused. It tastes of blackberry, licorice, chocolate, soft spice, and juicy plum. The mid-palate adds extracted blueberry, a nice rough edge from herbs, the salty, nutty “on lees” thing and a late hit of tart cranberry. The tannins are smooth and the acidity does its job and gives the flavors plenty of time to unfold. The finish is as full as the body of the wine and stays with you.The Summary The Substance Cs Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 is an extremely tasty wine. Often value-priced Red wines get things done with a bit of bombast, in-your-face flavors, but the Substance Cs use the restraint and elegance approach. The more sips I take, the better I like it, which tells me to be sure you let the wine “open up”. Pop the top and pour will do this cab a disservice. Is this Cab the equal to Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 3 or 4 times the price? (Costco has it for $12 or $13, it lists for $17 and every store sells it for somewhere in between). I don't know, I do not have that much experience with pricey Napa Cabs, I am the Cheap Wine Finder, not the Napa Cab Finder. But I can say that the Substance Cs Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 is my current favorite Cab. Check Out The Companion Podcast Below!!!!!
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