Winemaker Notes - Made to accentuate the high-toned, delightful fruits of Sonoma County's vineyards, this wine offers many layers, featuring aromas and flavors of red cherry, plum and blackberry fruit with an underlying dry creek dustiness. The round, full mouthfeel has just enough structure to lead it into a fruit focused finish.
According to Robert Parker: Readers should be on the look-out for the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (which will be released in March, 2011). It is one of the great buys in Cabernet Sauvignon from northern California. Accessed from Gallo’s Frei Ranch, Barelli Creek, Monte Rosso and Sunnybrook vineyards, it is composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Franc, all aged in large tanks with wooden staves. Soft, round notes of plums, black cherry jam, licorice and roasted herbs soar from the glass of this perfumed Cabernet. This corpulent, plump, juicy, delicious, hedonistic effort should keep for up to a decade. The good news - 320,000 cases were produced and it came in at a mere 13.5% alcohol.