It’s getting chilly: Cosy up with these five fantastic Cabernet Sauvignons | Josh & Coppola
For a slightly jammier style from California, reach for the 2021 Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Cabernet Sauvignon (Vintages Essential 521021, $24.95). Each swirl of the glass releases poached red and black berries, melting chocolate, licorice and almond. The entry is steady and plump with cashmere folds of fruit that feel lush, generous and approachable while retaining inherent sophistication. Expect jam-jar goodness, grandma’s best fruit cake and a touch of green peppercorn that lead to a roasted nut, cranberry and vanilla cream finish. Dry but not bone dry, this gem is balanced, complex and versatile. Score: 92
Another bestselling Cabernet Sauvignon is Josh Cellars (LCBO 461053, $19.95). This popular red wine is decent. But the real value lies when you trade up to the drier, richer and obviously more premium 2021 Josh Cellars Reserve Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon, California (Vintages Essential 412320, $24.95).
The heady scent is spacious, captivating, compelling. Cocoa powder and black pepper notes tuck under a ripe raspberry-cassis centre. That’s the nose. Then, it floods in tasting super-rich and voluminous yet poised with suede, dark fruit marked with chocolatey notes, damp earth, custard, dried fig, mocha and more. Long. Bone-dry. Characterful. Score: 93