I enjoy what Chris and her girlfriends call “smut night” at our house. No, I do not watch the Bachelor or Bachelorette when in season, but Chris and her friends enjoy the show and the opportunity to get together to visit as friends sharing good food, and usually an adult beverage or two. Right now, I think they are mid-point through the season so in a few weeks we will have to wait until next January for the ladies to get together again on a regular basis. I appreciate all kinds of appetizers and wines they share. Eileen often brings wines that I would not normally buy in the store and this night was no exception. She occasionally shares box wine and I could not wait to give it a try. I’m hoping she enjoys it when I sample her wines as I like to share some of my selections and share a glass with her too.
This wine cames from Big House Wine Company in Soledad, CA. (Monterey County) I understand that Big House Wine Company is very near to the States Correctional Facility, a.k.a. “the Big House,” “The Clink,” “The Slammer,” which explains the recurring prison theme depicted on the labels. The brand’s cornerstone is a rebellious New World wine making style blending Mediterranean varieties. Big House wines unshackle consumers from ball and chain wine choices and rules, creating criminally exhilarating everyday wines. Big House makes nine varietals and are packaged in a 750ml bottle and 3 liter box (remember a 3 liter is four bottles of wine). Big House was the first winery to use 100% screw caps on all of its wine bottles. Reading their website there is a section I enjoyed called Twelve Steps to free you from Cork Sniffing! If you have time after reading my blog I would encourage you to visit the Big House Wine Company website.
Here are my tasting notes:
Sight
The Cabernet Sauvignon was slightly medium to pale. It hue was a light garnet almost ruby color.
Smell
It had to swirl in my glass a bit to get some aromas flowing. The Usual Suspect did smell fruity and sweet and I noted ripe red fruit.
Taste
My initial taste was dry and medium bodied. The Cabernet was slightly tart so it worked well with food. The tannins were weak but I could tell they were there with a medium finish.
abv: 12.5% – The lower alcohol is nice.
How much: Looking online at the Big House Wines website, the 3L was $22. and the 750ml was $9.00.
I rated the 2011 Big House The Usual Suspect two glasses. It was good with food and another guilt free table wine. I did drink two glasses that night.
In Vino Veritas!
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