Another wine from Gallo’s Signature series, I’ll be the first to confess that I’m pleasantly surprised at how nice these wines are, given the extraordinary prices of most Napa Cabs. It’s a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot, the bulk of which is from Gallo’s William Hill Vineyard, with a dash of Monte Rosso thrown in. My first impression is of dust, followed by cassis, violets, Kahlúa, dark chocolate, and pencil shavings. It’s an elegant wine, caressingly smooth on the palate—a sensation that glides into a vein of minerality, and interestingly, at the back palate, the impression of pure, juicy blackberries. This Cab isn’t leading with fruit, rather it leads with structure, intensity and a dash of freshly ground black pepper followed by cedar and bay leaf. 14.9% ABV | Sample
9.1 Points