Route Stock Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (about $20)

About the Wine:  Napa Valley needs no introduction in the wine world and the 2010 vintage is considered by some to be the new 2007 (not by me, but by some.)  To find a bottle at this price is intriguing to say the least.

About \THIS Wine:  The color is seriously dark, opaque with a dark purple rim.  The nose presents a lot of dark fruit and a mineral, wet asphalt quality that I have only ever experienced in wine made from Mount Veeder fruit, leading me to suspect that many of the grapes were sourced from there.  That minerality defines the palate with a humming undertone of red fruit.  The wine finishes with dark fruit and subtle tannin.

Drinking This Wine:  This could work as a sipping wine but a Cab that doesn't go with red meat is hardly a cab at all. 

Overall Impression:  Drinks like a bottle costing twice the price.  At twenty bucks, this one is a steal.

Three Rivers Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (about $17)

About the Wine:  2009 was a terrible vintage for most of the West Coast but sometimes that works in favor of bargain hunters.  In a bad vintage, better wineries often declassify a great deal of their fruit into lesser labels or sell it off to other wineries, meaning the cheap stuff gets better grapes.  We'll see how that works out for this wine.

About THIS Wine:  In the glass it is dark purple with a violet rim.  Charred oak is heavy on the nose, perhaps a bit overdone, but jammy plum does come through.  Smoke and oak spice are prominent on the palate with the fruit components relegated to the finish.

Drinking This Wine:  This would really pair well with a beef and rice dish.  It is not big enough for steak but it is definitely looking for a meaty pairing.

Overall Impression:  The wine is drinking now, has a unique flavor as is pleasant to taste.  At seventeen dollars a bottle it is reasonable for the price.

Pasquet Bordeaux 2010 (about $20)

About the Wine:  I first tasted this wine about a year ago and was thoroughly unimpressed.  My coworkers who tried it variously described it as "gross", "awful", and "Water the plants with it."  One of my coworkers recently re-tasted it and said "It's singing now."

About THIS Wine:  In the glass it is opaque with a purple rim.  The nose is very grapey with some charred oak notes.  The palate is bland with an oak bite toward the finish.

Drinking This Wine:  I had it with beef and noodles.  I guess we'll go with that.

Overall Impression:  If this wine is singing then it is still badly out of tune.  It is certainly better than it was a year ago and I may re-taste it in another year (I do not foresee selling out of it)  but nothing about it impresses me and at twenty dollars a bottle it is badly overpriced.