Black Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Californian Fat Cat

Last month, I was on a wine buy spree at Trader Joe'
s, and bought a bunch of wines that I'd never tried before.  I wanted to see if they were any good, since each one was < < $10 a bottle (most were five or six dollars).  At the end of an aisle, Trader Joe's had this "Fat Cat" Cabernet that looked appealing.  I try to avoid "end of the aisle" stands, as they are often excess inventory, where the retailer bought way too much, and they are trying to 'dump' it at a discounted price.  But being a Californian now, I also wanted to try and patronize affordable, drinkable, local Californian wines, so I took a chance.


Black Mountain Cabernet did not disappoint.  It had a smooth, silky finish, and was very enjoyable.  The back label says it is from both Sonoma and Napa - it also says it was plum, anise, black cherry, and vanilla.  I detected a slight hint of vanilla and berries....  but the other descriptors on the tasting wheel I could not differentiate.  It was fine, and at $6 a bottle, it was a successful experiment from wine maker Bob Stashak.