3 Thieves Cab Sauv: Cowboy Up!

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I’ve decided that I’m going to post our tasting notes for some of the wines we taste. We already record our tasting notes in a notebook, and I’m trying to learn Access to create my database of our tasting notes (needless to say, Access is not intuitive to the dbase-clueless like myself).

I’m starting out these Tasting Notes with a fun Cabernet Sauvignon for under $10. Usually we drink in the $15 – $50 price ranges, but I read about this and was intrigued.

Three Thieves 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon - California. Bottled in Oakville (Napa). $9.99 – purchased at the local Cork and Bottle.

Read on for our "review."

From what I understand, three wine brats got together and purchased the
quality leftover grapes from grape resellers in California and created
several blends of wine. In an attempt to reach the masses and still
make quality wines, they use a screw cap (which I’ll always applaud)
and a glass jug. Yup – a jug. It’s the kind of wine that, at first
site, a standard wine snob/geek would turn up their nose.
It’s a
fun wine. With pizza and garlic bread during the Super Bowl pre-game
show, it’s perfect. It’s pretty full-bodied with a big, punch-y taste.
If you actually savor the taste, instead of just gulping it down (the
jug, I think, encourages gulping, as does the big taste right out of
the bottle), you really start to notice the cherry notes, accented by
vanilla. It also has a surprisingly floral nose that becomes more
noticeable the longer you leave the jug exposed to the air.
The official winery tasting notes read as follows:

Vineyards:
On a mission to bring the joy of wine to the masses, Three Thieves
traveled California’s best growing regions in search of great Cabernet
Sauvignon. Thief/winemaker Joel Gott selected and blended the lots for
authentic varietal character, taste, and value. To keep the snobs away,
the wine is bottled in a retro, 1 liter, clear glass jug.
Winemaking: The wine is infused with French and American oak, and underwent full malolactic fermentation for a rich, velvety texture.
Tasting Notes: Three
Thieves California Cabernet Sauvignon is medium dark red with purple
tones. The wine is medium-bodied on the palate, with strong varietal
berry fruit. A portion of Syrah in the blend lends a spicy character.
Soft tannins add complexity and structure. Beyond delicious with any
kind of food.

I’m not positive, but I think this
jug actually scored an 86 from Wine Enthusiast. That’s not a bad thing,
folks. So kudos to Three Theives for bringing us some fun wine and for
continuing to be "liberators of world-class wine! Cowboy up!"