Darkhorse Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine: Darkhorse Cabernet Sauvignon.

Grape: Cabernet sauvignon

Region: California

Vintage: 2011

Price: $7.99

Availability: Trader Joe’s

In the glass: Darkhorse Cabernet Sauvignon is a densely deep purple-red color with an inky core and intense vermillion streaks going out into a dark fuchsia rim definition with high-painted viscosity.

On the nose: It has lots of crushed morello cherry, boysenberry sorbet and raspberry sauce with hints of graphite, oak and soft violets, touches of licorice root and smoke, and a perfumed red- flower-and-spice combination going on.

On the palate: There is a virtual cherry bomb hitting the olfactory sensors laced with smoke, wood and licorice, then layers of cassis, boysenberry and concord grapes without the intense sweetness that such a combination would normally entail. The midpalate is supple with good juicy tannin structure and decent length, punctuated by slight phenolic compounds and just a touch of heat from the alcohol.

Odds and ends: The 2011 vintage in California was considered to be a very challenging one. There was an uneven and tough growing season followed by a cold, wet summer leading up to a terrible harvest that was full of rain and other problems. Most serious wineries had to make do with a compromised crop. Yet wine still had to be made and operations such as the one behind Darkhorse could pick and choose up and down the California Coast, in particular from the Central Coast, where enough good grapes were harvested to make nice little quaffing wines. This is an imminently drinkable example of what good blending can produce, and at a reasonable price. Consumers should rejoice that this health-conscious chain store stocks nearly 100 highly drinkable wines from all over the world priced at less than $10. Darkhorse is a nice fruity and very forward cabernet sauvignon that would be just perfect for grilled lamb chops. Drink it now through 2015.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz’s wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89106-0749, or email him at gil@winevegas.com.