A double LabRat? Well slap me twice and call me Tekashi69ā¦.
ā¢DE NOVO WINES, Cabernet Sauvignon, aCURE eSTATE (whatever the hell this is*), 2015 the year of our lord. The all caps was them, not me. Time to uncork and jump in.
It has a deep purple look, but easy to see through when you tip your glass. cue smoke on the water riff
The nose gives me cloves, oak, dried red fruit and a tiny bit of vanilla. Iām underselling the smell here, it really got me anxious to start sipping the same way your mouth waters when they bring out your food at the restaurant and the scent hits you. chefs kiss
The wine is smoothly balanced with a soft-ish tanins, but holds up over time where you get the plum and cranberry sauce that isnāt too tangy. Itās ready to drink now, imo.
My price guess here was $40. If you are hosting for the holidays, get this if you like the people that are coming over. If you donāt care for them, meh, serve 2buckchuck and drink this after they leave.
*Turns out the aCURE eSTATE means they follow sustainable vinicultural practices, so you can sleep well at night knowing you arenāt an ecoterrorist.
Part deuxā¦
ā¢āEnergyā. Looks like a henna tattoo on the front label. I held it up to a mirror expecting an illumnati clue, but those Knights Templar are clever folk. Lucky for you, dear reader, I cracked the code by looking at the back of the bottle and seeing that itās actually a Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 the year of our lord.
Thereās a sticker on mine that says āRESERVE Limited Collection Bottle #0606ā. No mention of aCURE eSTATE on this one. Thanks, Osama.
I was a little worried about the cork, but itās fine.
The look is similar to the 2015 Cab. Maybe a bit more light ruby.
The nose gives me oak, vanilla, and brown leather.
Took a few sips. Itās obviously younger than the other here, but still ready to drink now. Even though itās younger thereās no strong alcohol vibe coming across.
Taste is smooth but full flavored. Thereās some of that plum and some fine tannins.
My price guess here was $35.
You can rearrange the letter of DE NOVO WINES to spell āwooden vinesā. Do with that what you will.
The too long, didnāt read: These are both good cabs, with a convenient flexibility of being well-suited for different types of food pairings than each other.
2018 De Novo Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, aCURE eSTATE Vineyard, Alexander Valley
The younger of the two, I get immediate cranberry juice as my face gets close to the glass. A deeper inhale brings forth vanilla and winter spices.
There is surprisingly no strong alcohol, even right after the pour (for both of todayās wines), and with the 2018 the nose notes carry through to the palate. Joining the party are flavors of oak and blackberries.
This is what I would call a perfect house red for the winter holidays. It would go well with the classic holiday meals of roast turkey, baked ham, or a prime rib. Thereās some sweetness and soft tannins, making it approachable for most guests at dinner.
(8.8 Fielding Stars out of 10)
2016 De Novo Reserve Zen Cabernet Sauvignon, aCURE eSTATE Vineyard, Alexander Valley
I was a bit surprised at how different this was than the 2018, but only for the first couple of hours. Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.
Intially, the nose was muted compared to the 2018, with a vegetal scent reminiscent of green herbs and bell peppers. That wasnāt the only color in the air, as red currants and plums whispered their names, too.
The flavor was a bit green as well, but you could taste that there was a good wine in there, if only it could rest and catch its breath for a little while. So, back to drinking the 2018 while waiting.
TWO HOURS LATER: Who ate all the vegetables? Both nose and palate have gone full plum bomb. Now weāre talking! There is a bit of sweetness peaking out from behind the medium tannins, and the viscosity has reduced ever so slightly.
This one bottle alone was like having two wines, if you donāt mind a little time travel between glasses.
The Zen of the past would be right at home with a classic steakhouse dinner, while the Zen of the future is your charcuterieās trustworthy wingman.
(8.6 Fielding Stars out of 10 in the first hour, 8.9 after that)
At the price being offered here, Iāll be honest and say itās higher than I expected by around $7 per bottle. Thank you Casemates and WCC for sending a couple of really nice bottles my way!
As always I was delighted to get the notification that I was lab ratting for Casemates! When UPS dropped off the box, I could tell it was for two bottles. Double the excitement!
This review covers 2 Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2015 De Novo Cabernet Sauvignon, aCURE eSTATE Vineyard, Alexander Valley and the 2018 De Novo Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, aCURE eSTATE Vineyard, Alexander Valley.
Since we had 2 bottles to rat, we decided to take them to a going away party for one of my wifeās coworkers who is relocating to a new job in a new area. On the way there, fingers crossed that most of the group liked red wine. Only one dissenter so these reviews are comments across 5 different tasters.
A spoiler: the 2015 De Novo Cabernet Sauvignon is fantastic! We all preferred it with our meal at an Italian restaurant.
As always I review color, nose and taste.
Elders first so we began with the 2015. The color is what you would expect, a nice ruby/plum color that left some legs on the side of the glass.
The nose is very nice indeed. On the first scent one reviewer said āit smells like opening a fresh can of tennis balls.ā I didnāt get that but I did get some bramble and a hint of graphite. No alcohol at all. You could smell the smoothness and a bit of age on this wine.
First taste and you can tell this is a really light and drinkable Cab. It is very smooth. While I was expecting something different, there are almost no tannins at all, the bite is very subtle. Itās a bit sweet after a sip or two, surprising since the specs say no residual sugar. I get a mixture of blueberries and blackberries. The fruit and the subtle tannins had me fooled, I had to do a double take and make sure this was indeed a Cabernet Sauvignon instead of an easy drinking Pinot Noir. I suspect this spent more time in oak than the other bottle. You could drink this with or without food. It went well with our appetizers of arancini, fried calamari and eggplant.
Next up was the 2018 De Novo Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, aCURE eSTATE Vineyard, Alexander Valley.
While the bottle and vineyard are the same, this is a much different wine than the 2015 and that was evident from the first pour.
Itās darker in color, a bit more purple than plum. A couple of swirls and you can see some nice legs sliding down the inside of the glass.
First thing I got from the nose was a hint of alcohol and a bit of oak. Maybe a hint of green pepper and some minerals. You could tell from the scent that this was going to be a different adventure.
At the first taste, one of my fellow rats told me that this was a much more complex and big wine. I agreed with him. To me, this one tastes tight like it could be tucked away for a few years. I got plum, along with the green pepper and the minerals that I caught on the nose. Eventually you get a tad of sweetness, almost on the aftertaste. The tannins are smooth but with a bit more bite on the palate vs the 2015. No fooling on this one, itās a Cab and it would go well with steak, short ribs or a heavy pasta dish.
Both of these are great wines. Iād guess both are usually priced around $40-60 bottle. The 2015 seemed special to me since it was so different from a run of the mill big Cab. Even though I am overfull I would be in for a case of the 2015. Still, at this price you canāt go wrong with the mixed case. Good stuff!
Enjoy those amazing wines created in the spirit of New Beginnings and know that we will plant five trees with our non profit partners in Tanzania for every bottle purchased.
2015 De Novo Cabernet Sauvignon, aCURE eSTATE Vineyard, Alexander Valley
Tasting Notes
Well-balanced
Full-flavored, with enjoyable complexities
Proud to note that the wine stands solid with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon requiring no additions
Vineyard
Terroir: Hillside, DeNovoās 4-acre Block
Bud Break: 3\8\2015, 18 days earlier from average
50% Veraison: 7\23\2015, one week earlier from average
Irrigation: Required. Earlier start and closer consistency due to low deep soil moisture content
Climate: Drought conditions
Harvest: 10\16\15. By hand. In the early morning coolness
Yield: Low @ 2.6 tons per acre
Grapes: Small blueberry-sized berries in small, loose clusters
Crush: Within hours of harvest.
Fermentation: With French Red wine yeast
Maceration: Initial cold soak and post-fermentation
Eco Friendly
12% Lighter glass bottle
100% Natural, recyclable cork
For EACH bottle purchased, FIVE trees will be planted.
Specs
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Alexander Valley, Sonoma County
Barrel Regime: 24 months, 100% French Oak
Alcohol: 13.2%
pH: 3.61
Residual Sugar: not detected
Production: 234 cases
2016 De Novo Reserve Zen Cabernet Sauvignon, aCURE eSTATE Vineyard, Alexander Valley
Tasting Notes
Well-balanced and structured
Full-flavored, classic Cabernet Sauvignon
Proud to note that the wine stands solid with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon requiring no additions
Vineyard
Terroir: Hillside, DeNovoās 4-acre Block
Irrigation: Required, though limited to maintain moderate vine stress
Climate: Drought conditions
Harvest: 10\13\16. By hand. In the early morning coolness.
Yield: Low @ 2.5 tons per acre
Grapes: Small blueberry-sized berries in small, loose clusters
Crush: Within hours of harvest.
Fermentation: With French Red wine yeast
Maceration: Initial cold soak and post-fermentation
Eco Friendly
12% Lighter glass bottle
100% Natural, recyclable cork
For EACH bottle purchased, FIVE trees will be planted.
Specs
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Alexander Valley, Sonoma County
Barrel Regime: 30 months, 100% French oak
pH: 3.89
TA: 0.59
Residual Sugar: 0.015
Alcohol: 13.50%
Production: 108 cases
2018 De Novo Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, aCURE eSTATE Vineyard, Alexander Valley
Tasting Notes
Glistening purple
Red cherry, ripe plum, and a touch of leather
Well-balanced structure from the mouth feel to finish
Full-flavored, classic Cabernet Sauvignon
Proud to note that the wine stands solid with Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot requiring no additions
Vineyard
Terroir: Hillside, DeNovoās 4-acre Block
Irrigation: Required, though limited to maintain moderate vine stress
Climate: Drought conditions
Harvest: 10\30\18. By hand. In the early morning coolness. Extended hang time due to favorable weather
Yield: Low @ 2.7 tons per acre
Grapes: Small blueberry-sized berries in small, loose clusters
Crush: Within hours of harvest.
Fermentation: With French Red wine yeast
Maceration: Initial cold soak and post-fermentation
Eco Friendly
12% Lighter glass bottle
100% Natural, recyclable cork
For EACH bottle purchased, FIVE trees will be planted.
De Novo Wines is a family-based wine company bound by a common cause: authentic, terroir-driven wines in harmony with the land and people essential to its existence. Our vision is to create a wine community inspired by the concept of new beginnings (De Novo is Latin and means new beginnings) and the respect of nature. Our mission is to respect the terroir and history of the vineyards we partner with to bring to life amazing wines created in the spirit of sustainability.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
De Novo Wines Mixed Cabernet Sauvignons
3 bottles for $84.99 $28.33/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $269.99 $22.50/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations).
De Novo Wines Mixed Cabernet Sauvignons - $70 = 20.58%
Stopping by to remind myself that if the 2018 pops up again, do not hesitateā¦ weāve tried all 3 now and all are very nice but the 2018 was special.
2015 & 2016
A double LabRat? Well slap me twice and call me Tekashi69ā¦.
ā¢DE NOVO WINES, Cabernet Sauvignon, aCURE eSTATE (whatever the hell this is*), 2015 the year of our lord. The all caps was them, not me. Time to uncork and jump in.
It has a deep purple look, but easy to see through when you tip your glass. cue smoke on the water riff
The nose gives me cloves, oak, dried red fruit and a tiny bit of vanilla. Iām underselling the smell here, it really got me anxious to start sipping the same way your mouth waters when they bring out your food at the restaurant and the scent hits you. chefs kiss
The wine is smoothly balanced with a soft-ish tanins, but holds up over time where you get the plum and cranberry sauce that isnāt too tangy. Itās ready to drink now, imo.
My price guess here was $40. If you are hosting for the holidays, get this if you like the people that are coming over. If you donāt care for them, meh, serve 2buckchuck and drink this after they leave.
*Turns out the aCURE eSTATE means they follow sustainable vinicultural practices, so you can sleep well at night knowing you arenāt an ecoterrorist.
Part deuxā¦
ā¢āEnergyā. Looks like a henna tattoo on the front label. I held it up to a mirror expecting an illumnati clue, but those Knights Templar are clever folk. Lucky for you, dear reader, I cracked the code by looking at the back of the bottle and seeing that itās actually a Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 the year of our lord.
Thereās a sticker on mine that says āRESERVE Limited Collection Bottle #0606ā. No mention of aCURE eSTATE on this one. Thanks, Osama.
I was a little worried about the cork, but itās fine.
The look is similar to the 2015 Cab. Maybe a bit more light ruby.
The nose gives me oak, vanilla, and brown leather.
Took a few sips. Itās obviously younger than the other here, but still ready to drink now. Even though itās younger thereās no strong alcohol vibe coming across.
Taste is smooth but full flavored. Thereās some of that plum and some fine tannins.
My price guess here was $35.
You can rearrange the letter of DE NOVO WINES to spell āwooden vinesā. Do with that what you will.
@ecue I like the play on words, accidentally on purpose
@ecue in 4 a case @ anagram
2016 & 2018
The too long, didnāt read: These are both good cabs, with a convenient flexibility of being well-suited for different types of food pairings than each other.
2018 De Novo Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, aCURE eSTATE Vineyard, Alexander Valley
The younger of the two, I get immediate cranberry juice as my face gets close to the glass. A deeper inhale brings forth vanilla and winter spices.
There is surprisingly no strong alcohol, even right after the pour (for both of todayās wines), and with the 2018 the nose notes carry through to the palate. Joining the party are flavors of oak and blackberries.
This is what I would call a perfect house red for the winter holidays. It would go well with the classic holiday meals of roast turkey, baked ham, or a prime rib. Thereās some sweetness and soft tannins, making it approachable for most guests at dinner.
(8.8 Fielding Stars out of 10)
2016 De Novo Reserve Zen Cabernet Sauvignon, aCURE eSTATE Vineyard, Alexander Valley
I was a bit surprised at how different this was than the 2018, but only for the first couple of hours. Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.
Intially, the nose was muted compared to the 2018, with a vegetal scent reminiscent of green herbs and bell peppers. That wasnāt the only color in the air, as red currants and plums whispered their names, too.
The flavor was a bit green as well, but you could taste that there was a good wine in there, if only it could rest and catch its breath for a little while. So, back to drinking the 2018 while waiting.
TWO HOURS LATER: Who ate all the vegetables? Both nose and palate have gone full plum bomb. Now weāre talking! There is a bit of sweetness peaking out from behind the medium tannins, and the viscosity has reduced ever so slightly.
This one bottle alone was like having two wines, if you donāt mind a little time travel between glasses.
The Zen of the past would be right at home with a classic steakhouse dinner, while the Zen of the future is your charcuterieās trustworthy wingman.
(8.6 Fielding Stars out of 10 in the first hour, 8.9 after that)
At the price being offered here, Iāll be honest and say itās higher than I expected by around $7 per bottle. Thank you Casemates and WCC for sending a couple of really nice bottles my way!
2015 & 2018
As always I was delighted to get the notification that I was lab ratting for Casemates! When UPS dropped off the box, I could tell it was for two bottles. Double the excitement!
This review covers 2 Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2015 De Novo Cabernet Sauvignon, aCURE eSTATE Vineyard, Alexander Valley and the 2018 De Novo Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, aCURE eSTATE Vineyard, Alexander Valley.
Since we had 2 bottles to rat, we decided to take them to a going away party for one of my wifeās coworkers who is relocating to a new job in a new area. On the way there, fingers crossed that most of the group liked red wine. Only one dissenter so these reviews are comments across 5 different tasters.
A spoiler: the 2015 De Novo Cabernet Sauvignon is fantastic! We all preferred it with our meal at an Italian restaurant.
As always I review color, nose and taste.
Elders first so we began with the 2015. The color is what you would expect, a nice ruby/plum color that left some legs on the side of the glass.
The nose is very nice indeed. On the first scent one reviewer said āit smells like opening a fresh can of tennis balls.ā I didnāt get that but I did get some bramble and a hint of graphite. No alcohol at all. You could smell the smoothness and a bit of age on this wine.
First taste and you can tell this is a really light and drinkable Cab. It is very smooth. While I was expecting something different, there are almost no tannins at all, the bite is very subtle. Itās a bit sweet after a sip or two, surprising since the specs say no residual sugar. I get a mixture of blueberries and blackberries. The fruit and the subtle tannins had me fooled, I had to do a double take and make sure this was indeed a Cabernet Sauvignon instead of an easy drinking Pinot Noir. I suspect this spent more time in oak than the other bottle. You could drink this with or without food. It went well with our appetizers of arancini, fried calamari and eggplant.
Next up was the 2018 De Novo Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, aCURE eSTATE Vineyard, Alexander Valley.
While the bottle and vineyard are the same, this is a much different wine than the 2015 and that was evident from the first pour.
Itās darker in color, a bit more purple than plum. A couple of swirls and you can see some nice legs sliding down the inside of the glass.
First thing I got from the nose was a hint of alcohol and a bit of oak. Maybe a hint of green pepper and some minerals. You could tell from the scent that this was going to be a different adventure.
At the first taste, one of my fellow rats told me that this was a much more complex and big wine. I agreed with him. To me, this one tastes tight like it could be tucked away for a few years. I got plum, along with the green pepper and the minerals that I caught on the nose. Eventually you get a tad of sweetness, almost on the aftertaste. The tannins are smooth but with a bit more bite on the palate vs the 2015. No fooling on this one, itās a Cab and it would go well with steak, short ribs or a heavy pasta dish.
Both of these are great wines. Iād guess both are usually priced around $40-60 bottle. The 2015 seemed special to me since it was so different from a run of the mill big Cab. Even though I am overfull I would be in for a case of the 2015. Still, at this price you canāt go wrong with the mixed case. Good stuff!
Enjoy those amazing wines created in the spirit of New Beginnings and know that we will plant five trees with our non profit partners in Tanzania for every bottle purchased.
Nice low alcohol on theseā¦ Looking forward to the rats!
2015 De Novo Cabernet Sauvignon, aCURE eSTATE Vineyard, Alexander Valley
Tasting Notes
Vineyard
Eco Friendly
Specs
2016 De Novo Reserve Zen Cabernet Sauvignon, aCURE eSTATE Vineyard, Alexander Valley
Tasting Notes
Vineyard
Eco Friendly
Specs
2018 De Novo Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, aCURE eSTATE Vineyard, Alexander Valley
Tasting Notes
Vineyard
Eco Friendly
Specs
Whatās Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Only 2015 is available online, $708/Case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Dec 5 - Thursday, Dec 8
De Novo Wines Mixed Cabernet Sauvignons
3 bottles for $84.99 $28.33/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $269.99 $22.50/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2015 De Novo Cabernet Sauvignon, aCURE eSTATE Vineyard
2016 De Novo Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, aCURE eSTATE Vineyard
2018 De Novo Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, aCURE eSTATE Vineyard
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations).
De Novo Wines Mixed Cabernet Sauvignons - $70 = 20.58%
Stopping by to remind myself that if the 2018 pops up again, do not hesitateā¦ weāve tried all 3 now and all are very nice but the 2018 was special.