Thirsty Thursday is the quest to drink good, cheap wine that is $15.00 and under. Want some more recommendations? Check out the past cheap wine posts on Thirsty Thursday.
I love friends who are also “into” wine.
It makes my heart go pitter-patter when my friends bring out a new-to-me wine.
And it is even cooler when it becomes one of my new favorites.
The 2009 Ancient Peaks Cabernet Sauvignon is from the Margarita Vineyard outside of Paso Robles, CA. (One of my favorite wine-tasting destinations.)
Normally, Paso Robles is not known for their Cabernet making because the fruits tend to be more fruity and jammy. However, because of the proximity of the vineyard to the Pacific Ocean and a mountain range, it creates a micro-climate similar to the northern Napa or Sonoma area, and that means great Cabernet wine.
The wine is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 8% Malbec and is aged for 16 months in French (80%) and American (20%) oak barrels. And all of that mumbo-jumbo means is it is a BIG wine.
The 2009 Ancient Peaks Cabernet Sauvignon opens with complex aromas of cherry, cocoa, black olive and graphite. Deep, layered flavors of blackberry, black currant and vanilla follow with supple tannins to bring backbone and balanced finish.
Because this isn’t a sissy wine, you can pair it with strong foods like a pepper-crusted steak, grilled lamb chops, or a black olive pizza, and it will complement the food and not get lost in the shuffle.
So bring the wine out the next time you have friends over and make them wine lovers too. It’s pretty easy to do with a good wine and great friends.
Don’t forget to use the Thirsty Thursday Wine List when creating your wine shopping list.
Note: This wine should be available at most liquor outlets. Please be responsible when you drink wine – and never drive drunk…seriously, that is just stupid in this day in age.
