The Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon is a non-vintage wine sourced from vineyards in Argentina, there is also a little Aspiran Noir blended in. Aspiran Noir is a grape founded mainly in the Languedoc region of France and it adds some color, a perfumed nose and a little flavor. Barefoot is E and J Gallo’s line of inexpensive everyday wines that are surprisingly food friendly. The back label mentions some oak flavors and spice, but there is little available on how this wine was made. The alcohol content is 13.5%.
The color is a dark, but see-thru raspberry red. The nose is ripe black cherry, raspberry, oak spice and a savory, almost olive scent. This is a medium-bodied Cab, smooth, but with a decent mix of ripe and tart flavors. It starts with a stew of black cherry and blackberry, a hint of Christmas spice and a light slap of creamy vanilla. The mid-palate brings tart cranberry and Nestles Quik powder. The tannins are smooth and while the acidity is on the lighter side, there is still enough there to work as a food wine. The finish is subtle, but persistent.
The Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon is a solid, inexpensive Cab. I think that a decent, inexpensive Cab Sauv is one of the hardest wines to find, because we expect oak barrel flavors and influence in our Cab and oak can add a great deal of cost to the production of wine. But here, Barefoot has produced an everyday Cabernet with good flavor and complimentary oak embellishment. It won’t make you forget Cabs from Bordeaux or Napa, but it will more than do when paired with beef stew from the slow-cooker or a Chipotle steak burrito.
this wine was received as a sample
