Staining ruby with opaque edges. Big, tarry, smoke-ridden eucalyptus with extreme vegetal and cassis visible. Good shot of alcohol. Wet bark and tin-foil.
Had been wanting to try this 25$ Michael Mondavi Napa Valley Cab project for some time and when I saw a lone 2009 on the shelf, I couldn’t resist. Was surprised upon capsule-cutting to find a plastic cork. Unfortunately, I judged it a little bit right there.
In the mouth, moderate, peppery, bath-water fruit completely over-powered by flinty tannin and an alcohol bite–and still that tarry note, which heads in a miserably bitter direction. Surprisingly, label states 13-7. The whole package reeks of lab-work and manipulation.
2009 OBERON Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 13.7
Stephen McConnell 