Bezel Cabernet Sauvignon (75cl, 14.5%)

A Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon from the Bezel label, produced under Cakebread Cellars. It is blended from 97.2% Cabernet Sauvignon with small additions of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec, and aged for 14 months in 26% new French oak barrels. The fruit comes from two vineyards at opposite ends of the AVA, one high-desert site and one against the southern tip of the Santa Lucia Range. The nose shows blackcurrants and wild blackberries, followed by tobacco leaf, dried herbs and subtle minerality, with a faint trace of bay leaf. The palate is plush with ripe black and red fruit, mulberries, dark chocolate and cedar, with fine-grained tannins and balanced acidity. The finish is moderately long, with black plum, tobacco and bittersweet chocolate.