The Drew Review- 2005 Alexander and Fitch Cabernet Sauvignon

A fantastic review prepared by Budget Vino star contributor Drew Wolfe. Enjoy. Note that Drew insisted I include a picture of him, so if you're wondering who the guy is below, well, it's Drew.
________________________________________________________________________________________

2005 Alexander and Fitch Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, CA

I first bought this wine on a whim several months back at Trader Joes, and though I normally don’t rely on TJ’s to provide the greatest finds in winedom, this is a rare exception. For $6 (up from $5 when I first bought it), you can enjoy a bottle of appellation-designate wine from Sonoma’s Alexander Valley, or just go all out and buy a case. For casual red wine drinkers, or for an everyday bottle of wine, A&F can’t be beat in terms of value. It’s an easy-going red, with a decent balance of flavors, decent structure, and an altogether tasty accompaniment to many dishes. Given my knowledge of the Alexander Valley, I really think that we won’t see this quality of wine at such a basement price for a long time coming. The reason for the incredible value is that 2005 was a year with a massive crop, and growers simply couldn’t find buyers for all their grapes. The result? Younger wineries like A&F, lacking their own vineyards, got premium winegrapes at a fraction of their normal cost. I’m sure that there’s a small percentage of grapes from Lodi or the Central Valley blended in here, but for $6, who’s counting? There is one downfall, however. I recently tried the 2006 that hit the shelves not too long ago, and its bland, flabby, and certainly too young. Maybe in a few months I’ll try it again with a better experience, but I’m not keeping my fingers crossed.

One other thing- Let this wine breathe a good 10 minutes after opening for best results.

Recommendation: If it’s the 2005, definitely buy it. If it’s the 2006, don’t buy it (at least not until I give it another try in a few months.)

Comments

[Pruedence Florinda]

Hello

My name is Prue and 'm the webmaster of http://www.buy-absinthe-alcohol.com.
I wanted to know if you would be interested in doing a paid unbaised review of our site.

Please let me know if you are interested.

Thank you,

Prudence Florinda

[FrugalFemme]

I love TJ's wines! I always stock up when at the NYC store.

[Drew]

Sure, what do you need me to do?