Wineguider wine reviews

Tonight we check out a 2011 cabernet from Napa Valley, California that  I bought at Total Wine for $20.

We have noted that most 2011 and 2010 cabernets from the West Coast are not so great.  The question is, could Abbeyville reserve buck that trend?

With its heavy and substantial bottle, gorgeous dark label, and modern fake cork, the feeling is, this wine could really take us further than all the other 2011 losers.

However, it really can’t.  Yes, it has some nice tannins, clove, and tart cranberry taste.  But for a $20 red, this wine disappoints.  It doesn’t feel full-bodied enough for a “reserve Napa Valley cabernet.”  Like many other 2010 and 2011’s out there, it comes off flat, rather than juicy.  Tart almost to the point of bitterness.  And maybe worst of all, forgettable.

Not recommended.