SANTA JULIA 2006 CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVA

  

These are curious times, but a good, inexpensive bottle of red wine can do a lot to make them more palatable.  The usual folks that can play in this value arena are the rather broad-based corporate wineries with the ‘economies of scale.’  It is also a fact that such wineries have completely different  philosophies than some small guy with a couple of barrels trying to make a name.  Solid, competent, clean and drinkable is generally the best one can hope for.    Unfortunately the vast majority of what we see in this price range these days ranges from innocuous to downright unpleasant, a lot of them being so ‘processeed’ to address any potential flaws that they don’t end up really tasting like much at all.    But fortunately for us our currency is still pretty strong  “down south”.  Santa Julia (san-ta hoo-lee-a, remember your Spanish ‘ j’s’) is a brand that has been around for a while, and kind of started by accident.  In 1963, Don Alberto Zuccardi planted a vineyard to showcase the irrigation systems, pretty critical in the high and dry Mendoza region at the foot of the Andes, that he sold.  Ten years later he planted another, and it went from there.   This is 100% Cabernet from grapes harvested by hand and then put in French oak barrels (presumably mostly used) for eight months.  The nose suggests seasonal plums and red currants with elements of leather, violet and coffee, but most importantly, plump, pure, inviting fruit. The wine is pretty saturated in appearance and has a lovely entry of round plum/black cherry, low acidity and very laid back tannins.  In this price range, a little help from Mother Nature can go a long way and that’s the story here.  More importantly, you have a new, guilt free, very easy to like go-to Cabernet to call upon for a super price.