Grape Juice

Battle of the ‘04 Napa Cabs – Brandlin Mount Veeder vs. Clos Pegase

Posted on 26. Sep, 2009 by Erin in Tasting, USA: Cali

In the blue corner, “The Basher”:   $89, vanilla bean, big mouthfeel, boozy, thick fruit, good and chewy but lacking unity

In the red corner, “Mr. Slick” :  $51, similarly brawny, better focus, overall package

Round 1

Brandlin, fighting out of the blue corner, attempts to smother its cheaper opponent with the quality perception of a higher price tag.  Pegase, aware of the recession, sidesteps easily, sells a case, and wallops Brandlin in the money belt.  Undeterred, Brandlin pummels Pegase with a constant stream of “premium, prestige, price!” and Pegase, despite efforts to dodge the mantra, wobbles, appears confused and reaches for its credit card.

Round 2

Having been given a talking to by its corner staff between rounds, Pegase begins confident and composed, relying on deftness and finesse to outfox it’s heftier opponent.  Brandlin, certainly no slouch itself in the structured conditioning department, nonetheless looks like it’s working very hard to keep up.  Pronounced brow sweat from its boozy character, and huffing under the weight of rich fruit, its footwork starts to slow by the end of the round.  Pegase wallops Brandlin with a series of well-integrated strikes, causing The Basher to sway unsteadily.  The arrival of the Visa bill in the mail delivers a knock out punch, sending the big boy to the mat with a deafening thud.

Result:

TKO for quality and value…the red corner: Clos Pegase 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon.  If my monthly wine budget is feeling the squeeze, why pay more for a good wine, when you can get a similarly good wine at a price that allows you to chuck at least one more bottle into your shopping cart on your way to the checkout.

Tags: 2004, Brandlin, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Napa, Pegase, red, review, Tasting, wine