Fish Eye Cabernet Sauvignon – A Surprising Cheapie

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