Three Thieves Cabernet Sauvignon (3 out of 5)

This little beaut was the last of the infamous Jewel haul of three weeks back. I think Dylan and I are going to have to hit some liquor stores before St. Patty’s Day. I crave peppermint schnapps, and unless some magical Alaskan sleigh drops them off, I am not meant to have them (Permafrost). So….in the meantime, today was truly something so I needed a glass…or two…okay, maybe three. Over many hours. Over many hours. Did I say…over many hours?

Anyway, this is a straight up Cabernet Sauvignon. No blend on this one. As much as I love red blends, it’s nice sometimes to break away from the blends, the Malbecs, and the Merlots. It’s nice to have some normal, light Cabernet- and this one is a doozy, from the label alone. You get this: “This is the tale of the master, the hustler, and the dreamer. Three rogues whose love for the vine is rivaled only by their belief that great wine is not a pleasure reserve for kings, but a pleasure reserved for life.” WOW! Any wine that states that has my undivided attention. I like pleasure, so here goes!

Not a real strong nose from this wine. Rather, it’s lightly florid- even after letting it breathe for a hour. No pissy vinegar smell and no burnt offerings as far as cassis, my enemy in the wine field. It just smells like wonderful light berries, some strawberry, and maybe a bit of spice and chocolate. But only a bit. Some wines overdo it and you’re drowning in an acidic nightmare due to one being predominant over another; not the case here. This is a full bodied wine, clocking in at 13.5% alcohol. However, I didn’t get a crazy buzz like I have with some cabs that were in the higher alcohol percentage. I also thought it very smooth and flavorful. It didn’t taste like a heartier wine, and it’s lovely light purple hue wasn’t dark enough to qualify it as a Prince closet staple, so you aren’t fooled by that, either. I would say this was a lovely wine. I had a burger and lemon pepper tuna for dinner, so this paired with that? If it were a normal cab, disaster! This one? Not so much, because it’s quality is on the mellow side. Great taste, less filling (really, I would not know I had a few glasses because the buzz is not lights out), and apparently being discontinued, which sucks, because I like this one. So if you find it in a close-out bin- buy it. It’s perfect for a light sip with a weeknight dinner, or even a light lunch.