Wine Tasting: Cabernet Sauvignon

Thanks to David and Jeanette for hosting and for the fantastic roast beef and gougeres! And thanks to all who came and helped me drink through some of my stocks of Cabernet-based wines.

Overall, very tasty, with winners from both California and Bordeaux. Most of these were blends in the Bordeaux style (cab plus merlot, malbec, cab franc, or petit verdot). The two highlights for me were the 2000 Cantemerle (classic Bordeaux virtues, great vintage) and the 2003 Thomas Fogerty Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet (what makes California so good). Complete list, by number, below with favorites in bold.

1. 2004 Kendall-Jackson Vinter's Reserve Meritage ($15.99): example of how drinkable an inexpensive, supermarket California Bordeaux style blend can be, 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc. 
2. 2005 Mille Roses, Haut-Médoc ($14.99): 60% Cab, 40% Merlot, great value from a strong vintage. 
3. 2003 Aleph Cabernet Sauvignon ($19.99): nice offering from Argentina.
4. 2000 Chateau Cantemerle, Haut-Médoc ($49.95): approx. 50-50 Cab-Merlot blend, everything I expect in a Bordeaux, cries out for roast beef, good acid, less approachable than CA cabs, but great food wine.
5. 2006 Chateau Cantemerle, Haut-Médoc ($29.99): in the decanter, illustration of the difference that vintage and age makes in Bordeaux. Got better over the course of the night, still young.
6. 2004 Hess Mount Veeder Napa Mountain Cuvee ($29.99): Built from cabernet sauvignon, syrah, merlot, malbec and cabernet franc, this was named one of the 100 best of 2007 by Wine & Spirits. Couldn't tell why -- this was not popular, all over the map, perhaps still young.
7. 2005 Provenance Vineyards Rutherford Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: thanks, Dru, for bringing this one! Softer, more generous style than most of the other CA cabs, very nice. 
8. 2003 Thomas Fogarty Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon (on sale $25): Cab with 10% Malbec; 9% Merlot; 4% Cabernet Franc. Excellent balance, killer bargain, wish I'd bought more. 
9. 2002 Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($49.95): 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot, not the measure of the Fogarty. 
10. 2003 Cosentino Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (~$30): blend includes 10% cab franc, 5% merlot, 3% petit verdot and 3% malbec, very approachable, fruit-forward, you can tell it's from a winery that likes Zin!
11. 2003 Silverado Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot ($21.99): a Merlot just for contrast, very nicely made, not as soft as many Merlots, excellent value. 
12. 2003 Reserve de la Comtesse, Lalande Pauillac ($34.99): second label of Pichon-Lalande, blend of 46% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc, tasty, but my palate was rather damaged by then!