This wine was not as heavy or extracted as the Caymus discussed below. It had a wonderful nose that not only showed some ripe fruit but had an earthy and herbal quality to it. The wine was 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Malbec and 17% Merlot. New oak was also apparent in the nose.
The taste and body was lighter and not as 'in your face' as the Caymus, but still one could pick out cassis and blackberries. The oak and its tannin were a factor here and this was evident on the side of the tongue. The acid was great and the tannins were there at the finish. That finish was drier and less sweet than the Caymus and that played nicely off the fat in the prime rib. This wine cleared and refreshed the palate between bites of meat without leaving a sweet taste in the mouth.
As a stand alone wine it was lighter, but this wasn't about a wine being the raison d'etre for the evening, it was about a wine that was best with the food. We didn't sit down to drink a bottle of wine, we sat down to eat Christmas dinner and wash it down with a good wine. That's why this wine shone brightest of the three.
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