Wine: Hess caps list of second-label cabs

When wineries have a good year growing grapes and making wine, they often have a lot of "good stuff" left over to put in wines they call second label.

When a friend saw a recent column about "second label" chardonnays, she said she had been drinking Hawk Crest for a long time, never realizing it was made by the prestigious Stag's Leap Wine Cellars.

This week's column is about second-label cabernet sauvignons as we encountered several value wines at low prices. Glass Mountain, whose chardonnay made by Markam won last week's tasting at $6.99 as bottle, came in second in this tasting with its $6.99 cabernet sauvignon.

Hess's second label, though costing more, won our tasting. All five presented good bang for the buck. Details are below.

2006 Hess Mendocino/Lake/Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, $15.99. We were greeted by smoky scents of stewed red cherries and other stewed fruit, leather and mole (the Mexican sauce tinged with chocolate, not the animal). We tasted olives, like in a tapenade, plus the stewed fruit and a rum-like flavor. The exquisite texture and dusty chocolate finish contributed to make this the best cabernet sauvignon in the tasting.

2005 Glass Mountain California Cabernet Sauvignon, $6.99. The nose offered ripe, dark fruit, black plums, chocolate syrup almost like fudge, fresh-cut grass and green tobacco. This wine tasted and felt like a wine fudge, with hits of green tobacco and under-ripe blackberries. Made by Markham, the Glass Mountain finished a clear second in our tasting and presented a less expensive alternative to the Hess.

2008 Tilia Mendoza Cabernet Sauvignon, $10.99. We smelled scents of concentrated fruit, raisins, dates and a molasses-like character that wasn't too sweet. We tasted green and herbaceous flavors along with dried cranberries, currants and blueberries. Made by Catena, this wine had velvety tannins (the substances in grapes and wood that over time give wine character, but when young can make your mouth pucker). The Tilia finished third in our tasting.

2005 Lost Angel Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon, $11.99.The bouquet reminded us of sweet berries, orange peel, wintergreen, iodine, milk chocolate and gingersnap cookies fresh out of the oven. We tasted dusty chocolate on top of berries, plums and black tea. Made by EOS (which has a Nashville owner), this wine tasted more like Bordeaux than the others, with soft tannins.

2006 Genesis Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, $16.99. The Genesis had fruit-forward aromas, the first thing we smelled, mainly rich and ripe prunes, plus scents of menthol, eucalyptus and potting soil. Fruits were strong on the tongue as well, along with firm tannins that made our mouths pucker. Produced by Hogue, this wine needed to breathe in a decanter for a couple of hours and then be paired with rare beef to be at its best.

Surfing the wine shelves:

2007 Jarvis Science Project Napa Cabernet Franc, $105. Okay, this has a funny name, a high price and limited production (391 cases), but if you like cabernet franc and can afford it, consider this complex and elegant wine. The palate mirrored the nose of plums, blackberries, spice and roasted and candied nuts. A most appealing wine.

2006 Ehlers Estate St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon, $45.This wine had enticing aromas of blackberries, milk chocolate, pipe tobacco and spices. Lots of finesse for a full-bodied wine.

2008 Wairau River Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, $15. We smelled lemon zest, light grass scents, pineapples and pomegranate. The fruit slightly dominated the acidity, but it was still refreshing.

2008 Sebastiana Russian River Valley Unoaked Chardonnay, $18.We detected aromas of green apples, pears, wet limestone and cloves. No vanilla or butterscotch in this wine made in steel barrels - just traditional chardonnay character.

2002 J. Schram, $105.This is one of the best sparkling wines America has to offer, by Schramsberg. Made from 83 percent chardonnay and 12 percent pinot noir, this bubbly used grapes from several northern California vineyards. Flavors include lemon, peaches and apricots with lots of yeasty toast.

2007 Royal Tokaji ATS Cuvee, $20.This late harvest gem from Hungary was made from 70 percent furmint, 15 percent harslevelu and 15 percent muscat, producing a dessert wine with scents of honeycomb, kiwi, pears and peaches. This would pair well with poached pears.