Tasting - Liberte Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Familia Nueva Vineyards Liberte Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety of Grape(s): Cabernet Sauvignon
Country of Origin: United States of America
Region of Origin: California
Vintage Year: 2024
Price: $14.99

For our date night, my girlfriend brought her favorite Cab to share with me. To pair, she went with a dark chocolate ganache cake from Trader Joe's, and some raspberries. This was the second course of our date, which we started with the Pinot and shrimp scampi. I forgot to take photos of the bottle and it was thrown out before I could, so you'll just have to trust me that the illustration on the label is really cool and artistic.

Wine Critic Review: Jodi P on Vivino.com (133 Ratings on the site and 16382nd in the US).

"I have to say, I was impressed when a friend served this with dinner, bragging about its affordability. Very easy drinking, dark fruit, smooth and pleasing. Not necessarily super complex, but very good and for the price an excellent wine for everyday sharing."

On the nose, I could immediately notice the sweetness. It was really fruity with blackberries, cherries and stone fruits. It smelled a bit tannic, but without much strength.

The taste was pretty complex. I got a lot of notes I wasn't expecting based on the smell. I immediately got more of the sweetness I noticed before, but that was followed by an interesting peppery, hot flavor. The fruits came back, but they tasted closer to red berries like raspberries and strawberries, with stone fruits finishing. There was a bit of mild tannins and acidity, with an interesting saltiness on the finish, and the pepperiness lasted on the tongue leaving an interesting spiced after taste.

The pairing with this cab was really interesting. I found it to be a bit unbalanced initially, but tasting it after the chocolate cake highlighted the acidic, tannic flavors, rebalancing them. The fruity flavors paired with the chocolate really well, and the acidity of the raspberries highlighted the oaky, vanilla notes.

I really enjoyed the wine, and I would rate it a 3.8/5. It paired well with the cake and berries, and capped off a great night of wine and food. I'd love to enjoy another glass soon.