Musty and smoky throughout the nose, an electrical fire of off-putting nuances the derivation of which is hard to place. Perhaps Dunnigan typicity? I’ve had several wines I like from this burgeoning region just north of Napa in Yolo, but it falls well behind Lake County AVA in terms of bang-for-the-buck in the obvious–and constant–comparison to neighboring Napa. An acrid, fetid bouquet lacking compelling fruit and completely bereft of complexity: oxidized and awkwardly dull in all aspects. Sharp pangs of glossy stupidity over-power all perspectives toward drinkability–and likability.

Rich murky amber in the glass, the intake a sharply-citrus clumsiness, tripping over over-grown instances of glassine berry coated hard with alcohol and dull maraschino tincture. A background chalky aspect provides a lone persuasion toward vague quality, but it’s not bitter enough, not structured enough, not tannic enough, not spicy enough–flat-out not even good enough. Banana peel provides a wistfully-tropical theatric atop burnt blackberry and moldy briar. You *could* blame age, but I am of the solid belief a 30-dollar cab should last a decade. This is straight-up PLONK.

2014 MATCHBOOK Cabernet Sauvignon Dunnigan Hills AVA California 13.9

www.matchbookwines.com/