2005 Sylvester Cabernet Sauvignon Kiara Private Reserve

Type: Red
Producer: Sylvester
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Designation: Kiara Private Reserve
Country: USA
Region: California
SubRegion: Central Coast
Appellation: Paso Robles
Price: $16.98



The Little Wooden Guy appreciates an under-$20 California Cabernet with something other than OAK!!! to offer. For some reason, he takes the over-use of wood personally.

Night One

The nose opens strong, with several layers. The initial attack starts with blackcurrants with a background of cedar and sage. A slightly bitter nutty smell follows, best described as pecan shells, and it is all over a faint sweet floral background.

Blackcurrants are the primary fruit on the palate as well, but there are nuts and some flowers there as well, almonds and lilac. The mid-palate is tart, like lemon/lime suddenly poured over the fruit, nuts and flowers. Mouth feel was this and the finish short.

Night Two

The nose is less interesting but more classically Cabernet Sauvignon on Night Two, mostly blackcurrant, with some eucalyptus and a slight floral background.

The palate is more classic as well. The fruit is blackcurrant and elderberry, followed by cedar and maple, then a tarter finish with some plum skins. Tannins are very fine. The oak made a bigger appearance on Night Two, showing up in the cedar and maple.

Overall, and for the price, this was pretty good. Mouth feel was thin, but at least on Night One it avoided the over-oaked tendencies of so many California Cabs in this price range.

Humanitas Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2006

Type- Red
Producer- Humanitas
Variety- Cabernet Sauvignon
Country- USA
Region- California
SubRegion- Central Coast
Appellation- Paso Robles
Alcohol- 13.8%



I received this as a free sample from Humanitas Wines, as part of Twitter Taste Live.

Night One

Toast and hazelnuts open the nose. Black fruit appears once you get all the way into the glass, along with some vanilla.

On the palate, the fruit is very jammy up front, full of plums and blackberries. That is followed almost immediately with chocolate, a lot of chocolate. Tannins are fine and dusty. It sweetens significantly on the mid-palate. It turns to brown sugar and vanilla, clear evidence of a lot of oak. Is it too much oak? Let's give it a second night before we decide.

Night Two

The nose changed completely from Night One to Night Two. Now it showed blackcurrant, eucalyptus and a little cinnamon.

The palate was different too. There was still plenty of dark fruit, blackberry, plum skins, and a little blueberry. The chocolate was still there, too, milk chocolate. Tannins were very fine and added leather to the mid-length finish.

This was a nice bottle of wine. It was not, on Night Two, overpoweringly sweet and sugary. With significant decanting, or even better some years in the cellar, this promises to be a nice wine.

L'Aventure Optimus 2004

The Big Wooden Guy is quite pleased, not just with the wine in the bottle, but optimistic for its future, a bottle the Little Wooden Guy might enjoy for years to come.

Night One

The color is thick inky black, turning to purple only at the very edges.

Right after opening the nose is surprisingly closed, blackcurrant and herbs, but not overwhelming. Twenty minutes later and the smells are coming forward. Blackcurrant jam, plums, eucalyptus, and molasses.

Huge on the palate, jammy with just a little tobacco, followed by vanilla and oak. Big big big. Tannins were big, too, sweet and smooth, but very drying.

Night Two

Again, rather a closed nose giving out blackcurrant and some sweeter vanilla-tinged blue- and blackberries.

On the palate blackcurrants again dominate. Now, though, there is nothing green at all. Instead, it is jammy fruit, vanilla, and sweet smooth tannins. Tannins are still incredibly powerful. After the finish, after the wine is gone, an aftertaste echo offer some promise for the future, giving hints of violets and lilac.

This clearly need a lot of cellar time to integrate the wood and soften the tannins. Will the near "fruit bomb" quality ratchet down and allow the more complex florals and maybe more come through? I would guess "yes," but can't make any promises. That said, this is darned good right now and even more promising for the future.