"Hmmm.  What's this?" I said to myself when I saw this wine at the Wine Connection in Del Mar.  A Cab Franc-Merlot blend, with a touch of Cab Sauvignon thrown in.  Sounds like a California twist on the famed Cheval Blanc or Chateau Ausone from Bordeaux.  It takes some cojones, as they say, to try to follow in those big footsteps. 

The wine was not cheap (50 bucks), but I figured it was worth a shot.  Afterall, a bottle of Ausone or Cheval Blanc would be 300 dollars!  The wine was pretty good, but clearly was not in the same league as the wines I just mentioned.  To be fair, Vinoce never claimed to be copying Bordeaux, so perhaps it was just wishful thinking on my part that anyone in Napa could make an Ausone knock off.

The wine had an interesting bouquet of black fruit, cigar box, tobacco leaf, and cinammon.  The fruit was a little understated on the palate, and the alcohol content seemed too prevalent in the finish, giving the wine a hot taste (15% alcohol).  Those who really like Cab Franc will enjoy this wine, but most Cabernet Sauvignon drinkers will not find value for the money here.

I guess there are some things in life you just can't copy.  I am reminded of this everytime I hear an up and coming rock band try to do a cover version of Queen's Bohemeian Rhapsody, Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven, or the Beatles Strawberry Fields Forever.  Some in the audience enjoy it, but for me personally, such efforts just leave me longing for the real versions.  Now if only I could afford a real Cheval Blanc.........

2.75-3.0 stars

 

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