Harvester Paso Robles, Cabernet Sauvignon

Harvester Cabernet Sauvignon is a great creation from Austin Hope at a really good price point—definitely one in the value wines category ($20 bucks!). Paso Robles is also one of my favorite California wine regions, and this one delivers the kind of boldness I tend to associate with it. I find it especially bold on the first day, with plenty of dark fruit and structure. You’ll feel that Cab spice for sure… but it’s still very enjoyable and easy to settle into.

I also don’t drink wine as quickly as you might think. It can easily take me four days to finish a bottle of Cab if I’m not using my Coravin—unless I decide to angry-pour some into pasta because I refuse to waste it. #ThisEconomy. With this one, I accidentally opened the bottle without using my Coravin, and I’m actually glad I did.

The next day, I thought it tasted even better—and I think you’ll notice it too. The change is pretty obvious. Maybe it simply benefited from more time and air, but I really enjoyed the transformation. It felt a little more settled and expressive without losing its character. On day one, I was focusing mostly on the oakiness, cinnamon, toastiness, vanilla, and spice. Day two? I could really notice the layers better, and suddenly all that swirling made a little more sense. #Noted. This is one of those bottles I don’t mind opening normally again just to see how it develops over the next couple of days.