2008 Ventisquero Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva

Popped and poured through the Vinturi, then through another funnel and into a decanter.  I then poured the wine back into the bottle, and then did this process all over again.  From here, it sat in the decanter for about a half hour, and then in a Riedel XL glass for another half hour.

After an hour decant, this nose has some serious funk on it.  Lots of vegetal and herbal notes on it, with some green pepper that had me wondering about this wine.  Was this a bad bottle perhaps, or was this going to blow off?  Definitely some alcohol on the nose.

By hour three, the funk has blown off, and the nose reveals some nice smoke and oak.  The alcohol is still there a bit, but has also blown off a bit.  On the fruit front, raspberry and black cherry dominate the nose, rounded out by some creaminess from the oak.

On the palate, this wine is obviously young, and perhaps a little out of balance, but as this wine opens up, it becomes more and more balanced.  Some more of that raspberry on the palate, along with some cherry and pomegranate.  Hints of mocha round out the palate, with a short finish that shows the youth of this wine.  The tannins are still a bit grippy, with just some alcohol on the finish as well.  I poured the remaining half of the bottle into a half bottle, and put this in the cellar overnight to revisit in the morning.

So at the end of day one, I think that for the price of this wine, there is all the potential in the world.  I can only imagine that this is going to get better overnight, allowing the elements to integrate, and becoming a more complex wine.  To me, at this price, this is a no brainer, and a heck of a great QPR.  For the restaurant that wants to put this on their wine list, this is a great food wine, and I’d serve it with any kind of hearty, meaty dishes.  End of day 1:  86 points.  Stay tuned for notes on day 2!  Cheers!

On day two, all the hard edges on this wine came off, the alcohol integrated some, but was still a bit present, but not overwhelming in the least.  The tannins have integrated a little bit, but are still there.  All in all, again, this is another good QPR, and gained another point or two overnight.  Again, this is a great wine by the glass for a restaurant, or a great drinker for a weekday!  Keep an eye out for this one, because if I have it my way, this entire line will be all over restaurants in New Jersey!  Cheers!