Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

As summer winds down in the northeast and we begin our last full week of the season before autumn is upon us, I like to squeeze in as much outdoor grilling on the Weber charcoal grill that I can. And what goes better on the grill than a delicious steak?

On my Costco run last month I found prime New York Strip steaks at a great price. Costco’s steaks are a bargain, and if you are up for it, you can age the prime cuts in the refrigerator. We do not do that, preferring instead to just freeze them and enjoy them on a Friday or Saturday night.

And with a good prime steak like that, you need a big, delicious wine. Thus, I bring you today’s wine review, Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2021. This is a Napa Valley wine that I got on sale at Stew Leonard’s Wines in Norwalk, Connecticut, recently and it is a beauty. Normally the wine is $75, but their sale price was $65 ($64.99 to be exact).

This wine is delicious. It is really big with lots of fruit. In the glass, it is dark red, almost plum in color. This plum theme carries through to the nose, where you also get a beautiful jamminess with earthy undertones. In the mouth you get a bold hit of cherries and plums. The wine is tannic and could do with two or three years of aging. However, after opening the bottle and letting it breathe, it really hits you with an explosive fruit balanced with earthiness.

It paired brilliantly with the steak, cooked medium-rare and seasoned only with salt and pepper. (No need to bury the delicious flavor.) Enjoyed outdoors on a late-summer evening you cannot ask for anything more.

This wine is definitely worth the price for those special meals that require a centerpiece wine. Pair it with grilled or roasted meats such as lamb and beef with minimal seasonings and no sauces or gravies. In other words, it would not be a good wine to pair with a pot roast. You can also pair it with mild cheeses like a brie or camembert.