Belle Ambiance: Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

A few weeks ago I tasted Belle Ambiance Pinot Grigio.  I was terribly put off by it’s “Bridal Shower” label and had a hard time taking the wine seriously.  I only tasted it because it came from the same “Mother Vineyard” as Freakshow.  (Still one of my favorites.)

Yet here we are again because Sprouts tricked me (and my wine loving friends) into purchasing a bottle on sale for $7.99.

The good news is the label for this bottle is much better.  Nice, neutral cream and gold colors.  It’s still going to appeal to women – the script of the lettering, etching around the name of the vineyard, and even the color scheme.  But it’s not pale, pink, pastel. 

So I don’t think I’m going to hate myself in the morning.

Immediately off the top, there’s a hint of smokiness that disappears within a few moments of opening the bottle.  If you wait too long to smell you won’t even catch it.  As soon as it’s gone, you’re going to get raspberry jam and a bit of pepper.  Okay, it might be currant jam, but at the age of almost forty I still can’t define what a currant smells like.  So I’m sticking with raspberry jam.

There is a heaviness to the nose that I’m a bit surprised by.  My experience tells me that wines marketed toward woman are always easy to drink and soft.

The actual flavor isn’t as heavy as many cabs I’ve had as of late.  It doesn’t even come close to Freakshow or Earthquake Cab that I did a special shout out to. 

This cab is light, with a hint of pepper.  A brief dusting of spicy taste that dissolves away into the jammy flavor I smelled on the nose.

It’s okay – a good “starter cab” for someone who hasn’t ventured very far out of light white wines.  Buy a bottle for girl’s night in and eat it with grilled hamburgers (no bun), sauté some kale, and oven toast some asparagus.  You’ll feel good about advancing to red wine from last month’s bottle of Pinot Grigio. 

And it’s a good start.  But don’t stop here, there are so many other fabulous cabs out there to be enjoyed!