I found this Cab on a whim last summer. It has been my go to when having beef dishes.

Plentiful flavours with blackberry, blackcurrant, chocolate, and a subtle oak vanilla finish.

Wish the LCBO near me carried it more, I would buying this wine more often.

Description: Deep ruby in colour with a medium+ intensity on the nose.

It’s so nice, nay great to find a quality California Cab for under $20 in the LCBO general list. And what makes this even better, for a short time its $2 off. Can’t go wrong with this wine.

Positives: This Cab features cedar, cassis, blackberry, ripe tamarinds, boysenberry, dill, chocolate, turmeric, plums, graphite, peppercorn, cinnamon, arugula and some leather on the finish. Full body with medium to medium+ tannins, good acidity and a long length.

Negatives: A touch of heat on the finish from the 14% alcohol, which makes me think it may be higher.

Interesting Point: Like the classy label.

Drink now or over the next 3 years on its own or pair it with T-Bone steak.

Tasted: 9 March 2013

Best Buy

Score: 9+/10, Value: 9.5+/10 (10/10 sale price), Total: 19/20

Out of 5 stars, I rated this wine: 4.5

The 2010 Firestone Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon has deep aromas of strawberry, blackberry, toasted oak, vanilla and coconut. It is medium to full bodied, integrated, with good acidity, refined tannins (decant for 15 min) and a smooth finish of long length. Drink now – 2020; enjoy as a sipper or with bold meals. My impression: BEAUTIFUL, 90-91 pts – recommended based both on quality and value – widely available in the General Section of LCBO. Tasted March/13.

See my wine recommendations readily available at the LCBO here:

http://grapeselections.com/grapeselections

or here @
http://www.winealign.com/wino/dantrcka/recommended-wines-you-can-still-buy

Sep 2013. Amazing! Very flavorful and smooth.

Cali vine that costs here as much as in California? Seems almost impossible, but here it is.

Love this cab: currant, cassis, espresso, chocolate and a bit of dill. Just right, with nice tannins and aging potential.

Case purchase would not be an overkill.

Celebrity equivalent: Daniel Craig (yes, I have just watched Skyfall).

Firestone Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Ynez Valley 2010 ($19.95; score 90)

Santa Barbara County’s first estate winery, well south on the coastal drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles, was founded by Leonard and Brooks Firestone, son and grandson, respectively, of tire magnate Harvey – a member of the so-called Millionaire’s Club that included Henry Ford and Thomas Edison. It’s now owned by Bill Foley, a winery entrepreneur with several other properties to his name. This is textbook cabernet, with flavours of cassis, black olive, spice and cedar carried on a supple texture. Harvey would have appreciated the smooth ride. Tasty for grilled steak. Available in Ontario.

Couldn't agree more with all the good reviews. This was sure a great wine ! Tasted September 2013.

This was a fine Cali Cab-sav, certainly fruit-forward. Big cassis hit, this would be very popular to the masses. Loved it with my NY-strip loin. Recommened.

Not bad, but was expecting more based on all the other positive reviews.

This wine was good with roast beef dinner but I don't like it that much on its own. I do really like the soft and juicy berry nose but the hight alcohol is a little strong for me and I find it overpowering to the flavours of the wine. It has a soft entry and finish but the mid-palate is sharp, dry and bitter. Sof for me I don't find it is quite balanced enough for me to stop and savour, which is disappointing. Of course the critics are all rating at 90 so I must be wrong about this. Perhaps cabs just aren't my favourite even when they are rated a 90 or should I have decanted it?