2011 Leese - Fitch California Cabernet Sauvignon
It's been some time since I last posted and I recently decided to get back into it. I thought a regular weekly posting would make sense, but I needed a theme. I settled on posting about affordable everyday wine and decided to title it "wine of the week". A wine of the week would have to be something I found which was both interesting and represented "good value", so it could be opened any day of the week.
That being said, the first post is about the 2011 Leese-Fitch California Cabernet Sauvignon. It is not often I come across an inexpensive California Cabernet which I find as interesting as this one. The fun began with the bottle's closure. In place of a traditional cork or screw cap is the new(my first experience with it) Zork, which is a sort of peel and reseal type of cork made of 100% recyclable material. I opened the bottle and poured a glass. From the first sniff I was hooked. In place of the usual ripe dark fruits were the aromas of bell pepper, leather and roasted meats. In the mouth the wine was savory, i.e., round and flavorful, with hints of clove, cherry, tobacco and vanilla. Whenever possible, I like to put the cork back in the bottle and taste the wine the next day to see how it may have developed. What I typically find with most inexpensive and even many mid-priced California red wines is that they do not improve. Usually the big ripe fruit is gone, often times replaced by tart cranberry flavors. However, what I found with the Leese-Fitch was that the wine stayed essentially the same on the palate(in the mouth), while developing additional aromas of black olive, mint and balsamic.
At around $12 a bottle, I found this wine to provide quite a nice experience. I would pair it with red meats, especially steak and burgers.
John Syfor
