Moon Mountain Vineyard, 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County

I have heard a lot of hype about this wine and its big brother, the Moon Mountain Reserve. This winery has been around for a while but has only came into its own under the Chalone Wine Group a few years ago and now since last years acquisition, the Diagio Wine Group. The label just changed to the one shown but the Website still shows the old label. I am having some trouble with the site and can't get the label onto the post, my apologies.

Color: Dark Bing cherry color, showing slight aging on the edge of the glass and very clean and opaque.

Nose: Very enjoyable. Nice leather and damp earth aromas. Kind of like how the farm smells just after a quick rain shower settles the dust. Mocha and vanilla flavors marry with a tart berry character, something like boysenberry. As the wine opens up however, the fun aromas give away to a strong chemical aroma something like nail-polish or rubbing alcohol.

Palate: Pretty non-descript, week mid-palate and a good amount of tannin on the back palate and a lingering finish showcasing the wines cooler-climate acidity.

Overall: I like this wine a lot for its value, at $13 it’s a good buy. From the nose I was expecting a bit more on the palate, but I guess I will have to go out and buy the Reserve to get the whole bang.