Guest Post: 2005 Le Chanceux Cabernet Sauvignon Review (by Joel)

This blog is typically not about wine, partly because Katy doesn't drink wine very often.  However, she really likes it when I guest blog so I decided to use her blog for a wine review. I'll begin with my credentials; I have none.  I drink a lot of wine but don't think I qualify as a wineo.  Most of the wine I drink comes from Grocery Outlet, a "bargain market" that sells deeply discounted items acquired from overstocked distributors or liquidating businesses.  I typically pay less than $10 a bottle, often less than $5. Like everything I buy, I look for value.  If I buy a bottle of wine for $15 that is usually priced at $100, that is a good deal. But if that same wine tastes the same as a $5 bottle of wine, it was not a good value.  I find that Grocery Outlet typically offers good value for wine. All the wine aficionados probably stopped reading at $5, so for the rest of us, here is my review.

My latest Grocery Outlet treasure is a 2005 Le Chanceux Cabernet Sauvignon.  This vintage is from Belle Filles Vineyard of Napa Valley.  The pricetag (if you believe it) said the normal price is $50, but Grocery Outlet sold it to me for $10.  I googled the label and found that the bottle actually does sell for around $50 at other retailers so it was a good deal, but was it a good value?

The first thing I noticed was like most of the 5+ year old vintages I have had, this cabernet has developed a fair amount of sediment in the bottle. I like to call it the "pulp".  You can avoid getting much of the pulp if you are careful to not agitate the bottle too much when pouring, but it doesn't bother me either way.  On first taste, I noticed a pretty deep oak taste and tobacco. There is very little sweetness to this wine and it is very smooth. I don't know all the wine terminology but I would say the taste is quite bold or rich. It has a deep, lasting aroma like a malbec. Overall, I would give it a 9.5 out of 10.  For a $10 price tag, that is the value I am looking for in a wine.  If you happen to find this for a similar price, grab a few bottles!