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Anthony Gismondi: Dads love a robust and rich Cabernet Sauvignon
In celebration of Father’s Day, we’ve curated a selection of Cabernet Sauvignon gift ideas
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Father’s Day celebrations never quite measure up to Mother’s Day, but most men are good with that summation. Research suggests that dads don’t want anything; interestingly, many believe their kids shouldn’t be spending money on them.
A 2023 Canadian shopping survey revealed that nearly 64 per cent of Canadians make Father’s Day purchases, and 50 per cent of them will spend $50 or more on food, alcohol, candies, and eating out. While spending on Father’s Day is on the rise, it remains well behind what is spent on Mother’s Day, which makes a lot of sense to this father.
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But let’s talk about the gift of alcohol. I wonder if wine is still the go-to purchase. It may be Rosé weather or Brosé in some circles, but I’m betting a fine bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon will settle the day. Cabernet Sauvignon is not just any wine. It’s responsible for some of the most robust and richest red wines on the planet and, from what I have observed over time, it attracts men in a way streetlights attract moths.
In the past, Bordeaux was the epitome of Cabernet Sauvignon wines. However, the rest of the wine world has risen to the challenge, harnessing the grape’s adaptability to new sites and climates. If you’re in search of ready-to-drink Cabernet, fear not. The days of bottle aging and waiting for the once-famous dry, blocky, chewy tannins are fading. Today, you can find a wide range of Cabernet Sauvignon wines that are accessible, enjoyable, and perfect for any occasion.
In celebration of Father’s Day, we’ve curated a selection of Cabernet Sauvignon gift ideas from the B.C. liquor stores online price list and a few local picks directly from the winery. These options cater to a range of budgets, with choices under $20 and more extravagant selections. Regardless of the price, each of these wines has been thoughtfully chosen and would make a delightful gift for a dad, especially if you get to share a glass with him. For more detailed reviews, visit gismondionwine.com.
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In the dependable, affordable category perfect for burgers, we like: Viña Chocalán Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2020 Valle del Maipo, Chile $18, Escorihuela 1884 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Finca, Argentina $20, and three favourites: Sidewood Stablemate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Adelaide Hills $23, Liberty School 2020 Cabernet, Paso Robles, California $26, and Catena Cabernet Sauvignon High Mountain Vines 2020 Mendoza $27.
In the $30-$45 range, some classic steak wines to look for are: Rodney Strong 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County $30, Hester Creek 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, Golden Mile Bench $35, Corcelettes 2021 Micro Lot Cabernet Sauvignon, Similkameen Valley $40. A classic label from one of the best ever vintages in Coonawarra: Wynns Coonawarra Estate 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Black Label, South Australia $41 and out of the south Okanagan a savoury, smooth Burrowing Owl 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Oliver $43.
Above $50: Beaulieu Vineyards 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley $51, Terralux Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 Okanagan Valley 59, Painted Rock 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, Skaha Bench $59.99, Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 Paso Robles $74, Stonestreet Estate Vineyards 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, Sonoma $80, Road 13 John Oliver Selection 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, Okanagan Valley $80 and Freemark Abbey 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley $89.
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At the top of the price range: Cabernet Sauvignon with a capital “C”: Penfolds 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 407, South Australia $110, Anakota 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley $119, Schrader Cellars Double Diamond 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville $135, Viñedo Chadwick 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Puente Alto, Chile $460, Opus 2019, Napa Valley $680 and finally if the sky is the limit, the reigning champ of California cult wines is Oakville-based Screaming Eagle 2021 at a wild $5,000.
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there who, when it comes right down to it, would quickly settle for a free hug from anyone in the family.
Weekend wine picks
Sidewood Stablemate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, Adelaide Hills, South Australia
$22.99 I 88/100
UPC: 9342333002339
From Maximilians Vineyard in Verdun in Adelaide Hills, this wine fermented in open-top vats before spending 18 months in French oak. The style is mid-weight, mixing black cherries, black plums, and red currants. The tannins are light and dusty, with a spicy mix of dried herbs and menthol and a touch of barrique. Perfect for lamb chops or a favourite braised beef dish. Good value.
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Corcelettes Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Similkameen
$39.90 I 91/100
UPC: 696852020947
The Corcelettes Estate Vineyard sits on the Keremeos Upper Bench over a mix of spare, alluvial Stemwinder soils and gravelly sandy loam: the perfect setting for the super warm 2021 vintage that fully ripened this Cabernet Sauvignon hanging one cluster per shoot. As hot as it got, the Cabernet pushed through, and the results were gratifying, including an amazing silky texture at release. Florals mark the opening, followed by dusty minerals, black plums, blackcurrants, and that B.C. savoury desert brush finish. It’s impressive now, but I would wait five to seven years for this issue to peak.
Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Black Label 2019, Coonawarra, South Australia
$40.99 I 93/100
UPC: 012354052000
The Black Label Coonawarra Cab has been a forever classic and a pet project of winemaker Sure Hodder for decades. From the tiny sliver of land from Coonawarra’s red terra rossa (iron oxide clays over limestone), Hodder created this affordable benchmark from 50-year-old plus organically farmed vines. For 2019, vintage 64 for the iconic label, was a year to remember in Coonawarra, and its ripe cherry seeded with mulberry and blackcurrants, crushed chalk, mint-flavoured seawater and that Coonawarra dried herb styling in the finish tell an amazing story. It will age for decades, but it has the class and balance to be drunk anytime now.
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Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo County, Calif.
$73.99 I 92/100
UPC: 657891715591
Paso Robles, which roughly translates as “Passageway of Oaks,” is at the core of this flagship Cabernet. The nose is about as pure berry fruit as it gets for a Cab, with intense black fruit, perfectly ripe raspberry, and spicy blackcurrant streaked with dark chocolate filling the palate. It is intense but with elegant guardrails and perfectly managed tannins. You can approach this impressive Cabernet now, but it will age effortlessly through 2030 and beyond. Steak, anyone?
Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander’s Crown Single Vineyard 2018, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, Calif.
$105.99 I 92/100
UPC: 087512922259
Alexander’s Crown Cabernet Sauvignon is grown inside the 22-mile-long Alexander Valley AVA. The site was established in 1971 and recognized as the first vineyard in the valley to produce a single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. In 2018, most things went right in Sonoma, producing phenolically ripe Cabernets picked in late October. The replanting of the crown has paid off, giving this wine new life with rich blackcurrant, violets, and blueberry with streaks of chocolate and dried herbs. The tannins are attractive, dense, and sweet, not hard and dry. An opulent mountain, one that has the power and the elegance you want, it is only beginning to expand.
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Calendar items
Early notice for Sipping Around B.C., a series of regional wine dinners presented by L’Abattoir and the Wines of B.C., has arrived. Following up on the North Okanagan Dinner in March, the series moves to Central Okanagan on Wednesday, July 24, at 6 p.m., in the private dining room. The dinner spotlights winemakers and winery principals from Roche Wines, Meyer Family Vineyards, and 1 Mill Road. Guests will be seated at communal tables to enjoy a wine-paired six-course dinner. Tickets and the menu are available at labattoir.ca.
Blue Mountain Vineyard and Cellars is celebrating its summer white wine release on Saturday, July 5, with an on-site Tasting en Blanc Event. The tasting is set for 3-5 p.m., and you are encouraged to dress in your favourite white or close-to-white attire. Tickets are $67.20, including tax, and you can taste all the newly released white wines paired with canapés and oysters by Cocktails and Canapes. All the Blue Mountain wines will be available for purchase as well. Tickets are available online at bluemountainwinery.com
B.C. wine of the week
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Hillside Heritage Series Muscat Ottonel 2022, Okanagan Valley,
$26 I 90/100
UPC: 626990019152
Rinse and repeat is the mantra here. Winemaker Kathy Malone does the impossible here, doing nothing but making one critical decision: when to pick. After that, she stays out of the way of a signature Hillside wine with a long history and deep roots in the ethos of Naramata. Muscat Ottonel was planted at Hillside over 30 years ago, becoming the poster child for what old vines are all about. Decades later, a much-needed intervention in the vineyard has allowed these old vines to express themselves and their Alsace heritage. Floral, spicy, packed with orchard fruit, rosewater, tangerine, and a small bump of residual sugar. It is delicious, especially when you drink it in the sunshine.
Value wine of the week
Viña Chocalán Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2020, Valle del Maipo, Region del Valle Central, Chile
$17.99 I 88/100
UPC: 7804603661247
Much like the 2019 tasting, the Chocalan Cab is a journey back to the medicinal, herbaceous chocolate style of the ’90s but with a bit more terroir, if not finesse. The palate is lush, with an attractive volume of black and red cherry fruit streaked with coffee and tobacco. The fruit is from the coastal Maipo Valley and includes 15 per cent of Syrah this year. It was aged in 80 French oak barrels for 10 to 12 months. The winery likes this wine with wild boar empanadas; we are all in. Good value.
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Source: vancouversun.com