Justin Vineyards & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2005

Outstanding, now I know why it has such hype. Cab is clearly dominant in the blend but there is only a hint of oak, very rich combination of fruit and chocolate. Highly recommended.

Noteworthy for the detailed information on the back label. Scent of licorice/oak/mocha. Flavor is somewhat mild with hints of dark cherry and oak. Warm finish.

- Tasted at Wine Spectator New World Wine Experience 2010

I have no trouble spending money on things I want, but for some reason I have a hard time opening those "keeper" bottles of wine. Someone gave me this bottle as a gift. It sat for months in the basement with me afraid to open it. Then I went to a business dinner and had a glass of this magnificent wine. The next night my wife and I made bee-line for this wine over turkey burgers and salad. A wine this good can't stay all bottled up. Meanwhile, the Hundred Acre, Caymus, Sea Smoke and the rest of the "keepers" stay hidden away in the basement.

In the glass, this Cabernet shows inky-black depths with a rim of sparkling ruby-red. The nose was earthier than I honestly remembered, at first almost overwhelming the raspberry and black cherry fruitiness with rough barnyard characteristics and leather. Carey (my wife) said it specifically reminded her of the Greenbrier Resort’s riding ring, with hints of manure and boxwood. But, as this wine breathes, the aromas really begin to layer in balance, and continue to offer new scents of toasty vanillin oak and almond extract. The initial aroma profile is surprisingly contradictory to the juicy black fruit and sweet spices that rock the palate. Leather and earth are present, but only compliment the rich compilation of fruit, minerals, chocolate, and spice. The tannins are solid, and a little drying in the mouth, but the overall body is so lush and full, that the tannins really serve as a foundation. I find this wine has a slightly more scattered, flamboyant nature than the more traditional Cabernet counterparts from the “valley” to the north. I read a review that described the 2005 as a bit chaotic, and while certainly a condemning judgement in the stuffy world of Cabernet, it somehow works for this wine, in a new-age, counterculture sort of way. my blog: http://corksandcaftans.wordpress.com/category/corks/

Great spice and oak notes with partially tamed tannins

I really think that the bottle was not ready, but here we go: I think it started out with raspberry and plum with a touch of leather on the nose. the taste was of a med. body, soft style, California cab. the best thing about Paso Robles is the tobacco and leather you get because of the heat. I ,however, don't like the high alcohol of this wine and think that it is a great wine, as always from this winery.