Maybe it’s a little cliché, but this Director’s Cut wine’s a box office hit…
This Cabernet Sauvignon from Francis Fort Coppola impressed us with its complexity and structure. Despite the alcohol giving it away as a so-called new world wine, we appreciated its old world style.
The nose offered a complex, interesting bouquet, consisting of blueberry, blackcurrant leaf, dark cherry jam, dark plums, eucalyptus, earth, leather, black pepper, and anise. In the mouth, we had similar tastes, especially ripe, dark plums and blueberries, which stood out among a supporting cast of anise, earth, leather, graphite, blackcurrant leaf, and black pepper.
We paired this Cabernet Sauvignon with grilled filet mignon topped with smoked applewood cheese, grilled red onions, and garlic fingerling potatoes. It more than held its own. We would definitely purchase another couple of bottles, one to drink now (in the next year or two) and one to keep for another five years, when the tannins would, in theory, round out and lose some of their bite.
Bottom line: this wine could be considered a box office hit and one that would please a vast audience. Well done!
Rating (from 70 to 100): 92/100
Value: 4/5. Although some might consider it a little on the expensive side, it easily rivals many much more expensive bottles, especially from Bordeaux.
The Bottle Details…
Name: Director’s Cut
Vintage: 2014
Producer: Francis Ford Coppola Winery
Region/Country: Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California
Grape Varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol content: 14.5%
Consumed: At home on a gorgeous spring evening.
Recommended By: Picked it off the shelf at the LCBO.
Cost: $37.95 CAD.
Bottle Presentation: Really like the artistic, Hollywood, movie reel style, which is authentic to the producer. We have never seen anything quite like it, so bravo.
The Tasting Details…
Appearance: Deep purple going on ruby.
Nose: A medium, complex nose, with notes of blueberry, eucalyptus, dark cherry jam, dark plums, blackcurrant leaf, earth, leather, black pepper, and anise. We also detected some alcohol.
Taste: A dry, medium-bodied red, with medium-high acidity and grippy, drying tannins. On the palate, we had ripe, dark plums, blueberries, anise, earth, leather, graphite, blackcurrant leaf, and black pepper.
Finish: A drying, sour finish with enduring graphite notes.