The Dove Creek Monterey Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 seems to be a $11.99 ALDI exclusive sourced from estate grown grapes from 2 vineyards, one located in the San Lucas sub-AVA and the other in the Hames Valley sub-AVA of the Monterey AVA which is inside the Central Coast AVA of California. I say this seems to be an ALDI exclusive, but it is not their usual type of wine. Most ALDI wines are negociant wine or from a contract winery, in either case, they come up with a wine and a label that is exclusive to ALDI. Here, Dove Creek is one of Scheid Family Wines 30+ brands of estate grown wines. Scheid Vineyards has been around since 1972 and farm 11 vineyards. This is Scheid Vineyards wine, not just Aldi, I couldn’t find it for sale anywhere other than Aldi, so maybe this is an exclusive wine for a fixed period of time. The climate surrounding the vineyards allow the grapevines to have one of the longest growing seasons in California, this gives the grapes time to fully reach their potential. This Cabernet was aged in French and American oak barrels for 12 months. The alcohol content is 13.5%.
The color is a black cherry red with an almost clear halo. The nose is blackberry, almonds, dark chocolate, mint, oak spice, and plum. This Cabernet has a plush mouthfeel, with smooth fruit flavors. It starts with blackberry, Starbucks Venti Mocha, licorice, and plum. The mid-palate shows a splash of sweet strawberry, along with black cherry, and creamy vanilla. The tannins stay out-of-the-way and the acidity is well-balanced by the body of the wine. The finish is full and lasts a decent length of time.
The Dove Creek Monterey Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 is a solid bottle of wine. It is a little short of structure, but it is very long on flavor and that is a-ok for a $12 Cabernet Sauvignon. Smooth and flavorful, this is one of those wines that keeps you reaching for the glass to take another sip. The Dove Creek Monterey Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 is an excellent everyday Cab.
