I’d like to start with “Confessions of a Slacker.” I know that I’ve been really bad about post frequency over the past month. Getting ready for the Thanksgiving holiday and other going-ons will be my excuse. But the good news is that I’ve still been tasting and taking notes, so I have some new wine reviews that I’ll be adding over the next several days.
Let’s get started with a cheap bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon that really surprised me. The Fish Eye 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon from Fish Eye Wines had a surprise hidden in the bottle (in a good way… not an actual fish eye in the bottle or anything like that).
Let it Open Up
The surprise with this wine happens when you let it open up. I had to redo my tasting notes on this after it opened up. Right after pulling the cork it’s acidic and totally lacks character. But after decanting it and giving it a little time to open up, it becomes a pretty decent wine, especially for the $5.99 price tag.
It has strawberry and leather on the nose. Predominantly strawberry on the palate with a bit of currant and vanilla. The tannis are smooth. I gave it an 86, but it rated a solid 5 points lower before it opened up. So the bottom line on this one is it can be a bargain, but you need to be patient.
I also enjoyed visiting their website and seeing Cabernet spelled as Carbenet. I wonder how long it will take them to fix that one.
Wine: Fish Eye
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2004
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 86
Price Paid: $5.99
I have not had the Fish Eye Cab, but I did try the Shiraz. I would say the same thing. When I uncorked it, I thought it was absolutely heinous, but I Vac-U-Vined it and left it overnight and the next day, I thought someone had substituted decent wine for the swill that I originally tasted. It was actually not bad after it had been open for a while. I would still not rate it more than about 86 – 87 but for $5.99, that’s pretty acceptable.
You site is what came up first when I hit Google to try to find the rating of the Fish Eye Cab I bought yesterday at Pavilions. Got it for $4.98 I think, and I was hoping it would be good. It turns out it’s pretty good–I’m having a glass right now.
I also run a site about mixed drinks–I’m curious if you’d be interested in exchanging blogroll links with me. I don’t cover any wine and I think my readers would like having a reference point for wines online. Let me know how this sounds.
Chris
send me an email if you wish to correspond–I’ll get it quicker. thanks!