Monterra = Good Value

2004 Monterra Cabernet Sauvignon
80% Cabernet, 15% Merlot, 5% Petite Sirah
Tonight I got home and just felt like having a glass of something red and a fruity with some tannin. I pulled out this $10.00 Cabernet and it fit the bill perfectly. It is by Monterra Winery and the grapes come from the cooler climate of Monterey County. Monterra is actually a sub-winery of the well established, lower shelf king, Delicato. I have to admit that even though I didn't want to, I prejudged this wine knowing that is a was Delicato Product. I am not saying that Delicato makes bad wine, but I think that it does belong on the bottom shelf. So I opened the Monterra Cabernet with this in mind and what?.... I was impressed with how much fruit character I got and the sufficient tannin to help keep it moving through the palate to the finish. No, it is not a perfect example of a true Cabernet Sauvingon but for the mood that I was in, it was.... perfect.

Color: Opaque ruby color with sharp clear edges showing it's heavy alcohol relative to the weight of the wine.
Nose: Very fruit driven with jammy strawberry and cherry characters. There is some oak influence showing cocoa and tobacco aromas along with cloves and a hint of earthiness.
palate: In the mouth this wine is pretty light with lots of fruit and a decent amount of tannin on the finish. The acidity is good and keeping the wine lively and helping to prolong the finish on such a light Cab. It kinda leaves a hole in the middle of the palate which is usually remedied by adding Merlot into the blend but it didn't work as well this time.
Overall: I can't complain, for $10.00 this is a good wine that I would not be afraid of buying again. It is clean, very pleasing after a long day of work and I like the gobs of fruit. CHEERS! I give it a B