Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Naked Vine One Hitter -- Cannonball

I’m never one to look a gift wine in the mouth. One of my compatriots, the California Condor, was trying to scare up some cash for his employer:
I picked up the bottle at Vator Splash, a venture capital event in San Francisco for start-ups.  They were giving away the bottles to anyone who asked, so I grabbed one for you.
“The bottle” turned out to be Cannonball 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, a California blend sourcing grapes from all over the Northern California wine growing area. They say their wine, like the cannonball dive itself, “doesn't discriminate against body type, race, religion, political affiliation, social status, or fashion sense.” So, it’s built to be an approachable, affordable quaff.
I cracked it, swirled, and was greeted with a spicy, plummy nose. The wine is made to be sold in the $15 price range, and it’s nicely balanced for that price point. Many $15 Cali cabs are either tannic thunderheads or fruity messes. This one’s quite light for a cabernet, very approachable, but a little light initially. It deepens once it gets some air, so I’d probably recommend decanting. Once you do, you’ll get some soft, lasting tannins on the finish. A very easy drinking wine that goes well with meat or chocolate. Nothing amazingly out of the ordinary, but a very solid value.

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