Left Bend Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Fellom Ranch

6/6/25 update, +1 to rating: still going strong. Loaded with fruit and vanilla on the first day. These mellow after the second day, and there's a nice astringency and slight bitterness that I find complementary. Outstanding for the price point. Really well integrated fruit, tannins, and oak.

It's not Ridge or Mount Eden, but for $20 this is a lot of wine. If you're looking for a balanced cab with a bit of cedar and graphite without the pruneyness of over extracted Napa cabs, this fits the wheelhouse.

On opening this was amazingly floral and fruity, which was a bit of a surprise given the age of 7.5 years and the appellation. The wine started out fruity but then became fairly oaky as told by the strong vanilla tones. Reminded me a bit of the 2014 Bell Cabernet - not an oak or fruit bomb, but certainly more oaky and fruity than I expected given the source. Drank this over two days and it did calm down in …