Deep ruby color; black cherry, plum, blackberry, spice on the nose; blackcurrant, black cherry, blackberry, tobacco, cocoa on the palate.
Dry; medium-full body; dusty tannins—benefits from decanting. OK acidity (3.72 pH) for cab with this weight, but more acidity from earlier harvesting should have been considered. Some oak influence from nine months aging, 40% new French barrels. Blend of 84% cabernet sauvignon, 9% merlot, 4% cabernet franc, 3% winemaker blend of red grapes; 13.9% ABV (according to the tech sheet, the bottle label says 14.5%). This struggles some to come together, the ripe fruit tiptoes toward grape jelly. Still, no question there are cab drinkers who slurp up this style.
Cosentino Winery started in 1980, releasing its first vintage in 1981. In 1989, Cosentino released “The Poet,” one of the first designated and licensed meritage wines. In 1990 they introduced THE Series with THE Zin showcasing Lodi fruit. They have a winery and tasting room located in Oakville on the historic Saint Helena Highway at the entry to the Napa County, but they also have long been champions of the Lodi Appellation to their east and Washington State to their north.
This wine was made using grapes from Washington’s Columbia River vineyards. The winery notes the primary vineyards are located at the same latitude as Bordeaux, and this is made in Bordeaux style, although this is richer and fruitier than a typical French effort.
Winemaker Marty Peterson is a fourth-generation farmer and grape grower in Lodi and emphasizes sustainable farming—Lodi is one of the leading U.S. appellations for sustainable farming. This effort cellared and bottled in Hopland, CA, 65 miles north of the Napa winery and tasting room. It is likely Peterson’s participation in this effort was buying the juice, not growing the grapes.
Cosentino is a Vintage Wine Estates brand—others include B.R. Cohn, Delectus Winery, Sonoma Coast Vineyard (SCV), Viansa, and others—and also is a partnership with Deutsch Family Wine and Spirits. Deutsch brands include Yellow Tail, Josh Cellars, Ruta 22, Georges Duboeuf and many others. So this label brings together two heavy hitters, if not players quite in the Constellation Brands, Gallo, and Treasury Wine Estate tier. Cosentino emphasizes crowd pleasing pours—dependable quality, a flirtation with jammy to provide the fruity sweetness that is a mass market winning formula, and a price that doesn’t freak out the casual wine drinker.
Cosentino Winery Cigar Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 2016 is almost-jammy, concentrated dark fruits in the style of big Napa-Sonoma cabs, but this is Columbia Valley fruit. Pair with steak and potato fare; barbecue; pizza; burgers and sliders. $15-22
