Antigua Cava Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004. Mendoza, Argentina.I had already picked up another bottle when a big sales display caught my eye. Ordinarily, I scoff at these walls of cheap wine en route to the register. They usually have eye-catching labels but end up being too low quality to be worth the small discount. Still, at $5, I did a double take and grabbed a bottle of the red.
The first sip was punchy and sour. It had a bouquet of (no kidding) sawdust. It reminded me of my dad's woodworking shop, or an old musty photo album, neither of which is altogether bad. The taste was like bitter cherry leather. Pretty sweet after a few minutes, despite the distracting tangy and moldy notes. It could really use a complex cheese to draw the flavor out and give it more dimension. On the whole, a fairly good purchase, but I won't be running back for more.
