Hayman & Hill Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Selection 2010

Here's a California Cabernet that will win the hearts of the pure fruit crowd with ease. Made by a winery that sources this fruit from various vineyards in the Paso Robles AVA, a cooler area than Napa on the central coast, this simple quaffer has had it's praises sung in lots of place here on the web. It's got nice blueberry, plum and cocoa aromas with oak spice elements that support rather than overwhelm. It's even got a touch of bell pepper in the nose that lead me to believe that there might be a touch of Cabernet Franc in the blend. It's got good acidity and balance, and while it's got all the up front dark fruit and supporting oak flavors you want from new world cab, I was left wishing that this wine had more true Cabernet Sauvignon character. It's just missing some of those graphite and/or loamy flavors that really good Cab can give you. Still, at $13.99 a bottle, there's a lot of folks that will find a lot to like with this wine. Cheers.