Nickel and Nickel, Cabernet Sauvignon, DeCarle Vineyard, 2019

This wine got better and better as I drank it… as good wines do. It was a bit of a splurge because I ran into the wine store at closing time and grabbed the first bottle that caught my eye! I photographed it with roses because when I opened it that was the first impression made by the aromas that wafted from the bottle. Then I started jotting down my thoughts as I drank. Roses. Candied apple. Black pepper. Alcohol. Cherries. Colors: Purple and garnet and pink around the edges. Toward the end of the night, I was tasting raspberries, mixed berry pie filling and blueberries. Okay, toward the end of the night I was deleriously in love with this wine. It was perfect with my grilled beef tenderloin. I’m not sure it was the best “value” I’ve ever found in the wine store… It was over $100! But it was a perfect Friday night treat.

Now: Here’s what a few more experienced wine tasters said:

Wilfred Wong of Wine.com said: COMMENTARY: The 2019 Nickel & Nickel DeCarle Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon does an excellent job combining fruit and wood. TASTING NOTES: This wine exhibits aromas and flavors of black fruit and well-integrated oak. Try it with the first cut of a prime rib. (Tasted: December 12, 2021, San Francisco, CA)

International Wine Report said: The 2019 Nickel & Nickel DeCarle Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon opens to aromatics of ripe red currants and dark cherries which are woven together with spices, pipe tobacco, graphite and hints of dusted cocoa, which all emerge from the glass. On the palate this medium to full-bodied Cabernet delivers beautifully concentrated flavors of ripe dark berries, spices, mocha and dusty minerals that resonate through the wine. It continues to impress with its gorgeous round, polished texture that leads up to the supple finish. A delicious Cabernet to approach early on, or watch evolve over the next decade.