California, USA
Alcohol: 13.9%
Available in government ($18.99) and private stores
Rebel Wine is a joint venture between the Three Thieves (Charles Bieler, Joel Gott, and Roger Scommenga ) and Trinchero Wines (owner of Sutter Home and other brands). Their goal is to “liberate premium wine” and the packaging of their wines – including this one – is anything but conventional. (Check out their Web site to see the whole line-up: http://www.threethieves.com/index.html#1)
The Show is a big wine, no question. It starts with the eye catching label and then the bottle (heavy barely describes it!). Then there’s the nose: big, ripe, and lush sprang to mind, with lots of jammy red fruit and spices (cinnamon, pepper, and nutmeg), plus some vanilla and violets. The boldness carries on into your mouth, where the strong fruit and spice flavours are balanced by the acid and soft tannins. The finish is smooth, medium long, and clean. While I couldn’t find the exact blend, the wine is roughly 80% Cabernet Sauvignon (multiple regions), and the rest is combination of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Sirah, and Petit Verdot.
This is a nicely priced, enjoyable Cabernet Sauvignon that is more “wine fun” than “wine geeky”. It’s a strongly flavoured wine, so should be matched with similar foods (boldly flavoured sauces and grilled meats, instead of white fish or cream sauces).
This is a very nice Cab for the cash. Nice and fruit forward and big in structure. For under $20 it’s a pretty decent buy I’d say.