The 2012 Castle Rock Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon is one of Castle Rocks 3 AVA specific Cabernets, the other two are sourced from Napa Valley or the Columbia Valley in Washington State. Castle Rock owns no vineyards and does not have its own winery facilities, instead they have long term relationships with grape growers in the various AVA’s and rent space in wineries located in Sonoma, Napa, Willamette Valley and Columbia Valley. They have 7 Pinot Noirs each sourced from a specific AVA and 3 Chardonnay’s, Russian River, Central Coast and Columbia Valley, along with all the other popular grape varieties. So, you have an array of AVA specific wines, all priced competitively with multiple AVA wines and far cheaper than the usual AVA specific wine. This Cabernet should sell in the $10 to $12 range and the alcohol content is 13.5%.
The color is plum red with a clear halo. The nose is ripe cherry, new leather coat, cinnamon spice and vanilla. This is a smooth, fruit forward Cab. It starts off with blackberry and tart raspberry, a little fudge brownie and French vanilla coffee creamer. The mid palate adds a dash of POMWonderful, a slight tug from the tannins and orange zest. The tannins and the acidity are well balanced. The finish is fairly full and lengthy.
The 2012 Castle Rock Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon is a solid, nothing fancy, California Cab. It does not have tons of complexity and depth, but it is not simple and it is very tasty. If you have need of a classic California Cabernet Sauvignon in the ten buck range, steaks on the Weber grill or deep conversation around the fire pit, the Castle Rock Paso Robles Cab will get the job done.
