2013 Ballentine Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Lastly, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is the most reserved and backward of the three Ballentine wines I tasted but loaded with upside potential. A dense purple color, plenty of licorice, blackcurrants, forest floor and cedar wood are present in this big, backstrapping Cabernet Sauvignon that tips the scales at 15.7% alcohol. Again, the alcohol-phobes will have a hard time finding any heat in the wine if they would just taste it, rather than polemicizing the issue. Beautifully pure fruit without a touch of overripeness and a long, layered finish make for quite a stunning Cabernet Sauvignon, that is going to age beautifully for a quarter-century.