Price: $6
Maker: Barefoot Cellars, Napa, California
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Packaging: 750 ml bottle, artificial cork
Alcohol: 13.5%
Our Rating: 8.5 out of 10
We promised we’d report on Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon, the only remaining red wine from Barefoot Cellars left for us to try. This cab, like Barefoot Merlot, made AOL’s Best Cheap Wines list. Like the Merlot, I’m not sure that I’d put Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon in my top 5 list for cheap wines, but it’s certainly a good value in the $6 – $7 range. The aroma has blackberry and cherry notes, with an unusual baking bread note that’s a bit yeasty. The flavor isn’t quite as bold as we’d like in a good Cabernet, but it’s reasonably well balanced. Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon is medium-bodied and juicy, with strong cherry notes augmented by blackberry leading into a moderately spicy finish.
According to the Barefoot website, this Cab has won its share of Gold Medals:
GOLD Medal…Expo du Vin Wine Competition, Irvine, CA
GOLD Medal…International Eastern Wine Competition, Watkins Glen, NY
GOLD Medal…Jerry Mead’s New World International Wine Competition, Rancho Cucamonga, CA
GOLD Medal…Riverside International Wine Competition, Riverside, CA
GOLD Medal…Florida State Fair Wine Competition, Tampa, FL
Now that we’ve completed the tour of Barefoot reds, we’d sum them up as being good wines and great values in the sub-$7 range. What’s surprising is that with their mass distribution they seem to be able to maintain reasonable quality. We see big displays in many of the local shops – not the usual single or double bottle-wide shelf stock, but multiple-case pyramids and the like. These may not be great reds, but it’s good news that the Barefoot reds are as tasty as they are.