Hello Prince Albert! Since it is the month of November, I was on the lookout for the 2024 edition of Beaujolais Nouveau (traditionally released on the 3rd Thursday of November) but strangely enough, there was not a bottle to be found on either the shelves or display aisles. I use the word “strange” because I can’t remember a single time in my twenty-plus years of wine tasting where this fun French wine was not to be found. Despite my disappointment, I spotted a couple of Cabernet Sauvignon wines from the Central Coast AVA region of California and decided to switch gears. After all, when the weather gets cold and blustery, we all need a reminder of warmer regions and California Cabernet is an excellent memory-jogger of warm, lush growing regions and ripe, juicy wines.
If you’re not familiar with the Central Coast AVA (American viticultural area), you will probably recognize one its 40 sub-regions such as Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Monterey or the Santa Ynez Valley. A wine stating “Central Coast” on the label can contain wine from any of the 40 counties within the massive Central Coast AVA which extends from the South of the San Francisco Bay to Santa Barbara, California. There are over 100,000 acres (40,500 hectares) in this AVA and many types of soil, climates and grape varietals as well.
Speaking of varietals, the Central Coast is best known for its high-quality wines made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah. This is due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean which provides a cooling influence as well as heavy cloud cover in the mornings. For these reasons, early-ripening or cool-climate grapes do best in these zones or sub-regions. If you prefer warm-climate or late-ripening grapes such as Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre, Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel, inland AVAs like Paso Robles, Ballard Canyon and Santa Ynez Valley are a better bet to find the flavors you enjoy.
There are many types of soil within the sub-regions of the Central Coast but the most commonly found elements are limestone and calcareous soils, located West of the San Andreas fault, mountainous areas containing gravel and hard minerals which are suited for quality wines (the more the vine suffers, the better the wine) and areas meant for mass-production or high yields, planted in fertile soils in the dips and valleys.
You will find many types of wineries in the Central Coast from small, family run operations focusing on individual, smaller AVAs, to the largest wine companies which draw grapes, juice and wine from several counties to create blended wines. I’m always a fan of wines that show the breakdown and percentages of which counties were used, and which grapes are in the blend (the more information the label can give me, the better).
This brings us to the two Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon wines of the week, the affordable Wente ($25 after taxes) and the Unshackled ($35 after taxes). Since Cab Sauv is a late-ripening, warm-climate grape, it stands to reason that several inland counties were sourced for the wine inside the bottle. While the Wente brings good intensity and flavor at first, it thins out by the time you reach the finish and settles on some oaky, bitter flavors, marring the overall flavor profile. In contrast, the Unshackled Cab Sauv brings intensity as well as a rich, plush depth of flavor, satisfying the tastebuds with ripe dark fruits and a soft mouthfeel. The finish isn’t necessarily long on either wine, but the Unshackled is more balanced and consistent, resulting in a higher level of enjoyment and relaxation compared to the slight bitterness of the Wente. I recommend spending the extra dollars on the Unshackled and would skip the Wente. Spend the other $25 on a Pinot Noir or Chardonnay from Central Coast instead. Here are my wine picks of the week!
Wente Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2021: (Central Coast, California). Dry red, deep purple color. The nose is simple but fruity with jammy dark cherries, plums and blackberries. There is a good amount of intensity on the palate at first with dark fruits and medium concentration followed by slightly astringent medium-plus tannins. While the flavors start out fruity and intense, they thin out a bit too quickly and dip into bitter tannin flavors which leaves the wine with a medium-length finish of plum/cherry skins and oaky bitterness. Acidity and body are both medium and I was hoping for some more depth from this Cali Cab Sauv. While this wine is on the thinner side, it will still pair well with grilled steaks or dried meats and tastes great with an aged cheddar cheese. Good! $25, 13.5% ABV
Unshackled Cabernet Sauvignon 2022: (Central Coast, California). Dry to off-dry red, deep purple color. This Cabernet can be smelled from several feet away as it is poured into the glass and features ripe, full aromas of blackberry, grape jelly, Concord grapes, brambleberry, currants and dark cherries. The intensity and fullness of flavor continues on the palate with medium-plus bodied flavors of dark fruits and lush, fuzzy tannins. The medium-plus tannins seem high at first, but don’t dry out the mouth and leave a pleasant texture on the teeth and tongue. Gentle and smooth to the taste, this Cab Sauv is very easy to sip on due to the excellent balance between ripe fruits, medium acidity and medium-plus length finish. The concentration and depth of flavors is richer and warmer, leaving the tastebuds on a high making me want to come back for another taste several times. Surprisingly, this wine does not stain the teeth and doesn’t taste too heavy-handed or manipulated like some of the general California wines do at lower price points. I would buy this again or gift it to a friend over the holidays due to the attractiveness of the label which resembles a code wheel or enigma machine motif. Very good! $35, 14.5% ABV
Cheers and thanks for reading!
