Review of Lost Oak Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

We received the product for review and all opinions are our own.

Lost Oak Winery is well known in Texas for quality wine, and they are a part of the trio represented at 4.0 Cellars on highway 290, in the Texas Hill Country. Gene Estes founded the winery in 2006 and currently there are five acres under vine on the property, and three acres off-site producing Texas fruit. If you live in or visit the DFW metroplex, be sure to head over and stop by Lost Oak Winery in Burleson, Texas to sample some really nice wines. You can also taste a piece of what they have to offer when visiting 4.0 cellars, as mentioned before, when you visit the Texas Hill Country.

Gene has a true love for tending the vines, which shows in their quality wines. After all, wine is truly made in the vineyard, while the vintner leads the guiding hand to bring the wine to life in a sanitary and stable manner. Texas is a tough environment to cultivate any grape, as most of us know, especially Cabernet Sauvignon. Knowing that information, let us delve into this bottle up for review to see how it stacks up, shall we?

Upon handling the bottle, it is a traditional Bordeaux style shape, and the label is easy on the eyes with simplistic elegance. Black with gold lines, not a bad look. Once the cork is removed, this wine pours into the glass a deep garnet with a lighter garnet rim variation. The nose is fairly dampened upon first pour, but time in the open air cured that. The wine does show its youth in this way, which one should honestly expect with a youngster of a Cab.

As the wine begins to come to life with aeration in the glass, aromas of dill, bright red cherries, tart raspberries, and cracked black peppercorns envelop the olfactory senses. The palate confirms the nose with the addition of toasted nuts and a well rounded mouth-feel, creating a very textural profile. The oak, especially the dill aromas, are dominating the wine at this point in its life, so it is a tad over-oaked in my opinion. This may very well resolve as the wine begins to age further in the bottle. Only time will tell. I wouldn’t call this aspect unpleasant necessarily, but the fruit is indeed dominated by the barreling.

Specifications:

• Lost Oak Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, 2014 vintage
• Winemaker: Jim Evans
• Appellation: Texas High Plains AVA, Bingham Family Vineyards and Burning Daylight Vineyards
• Grape varieties: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec
• Barrels: Aged in French oak barrels
• Clarity/brightness: Clear/bright, with no detectable flaws and no evidence of gas or sediment
• Tannins: Medium plus
• Acidity: Medium plus
• Alcohol: Medium
• Finish: Long
• Alcohol by volume: 14.2%
• Retail price: $29.95

Although young, this Cabernet Sauvignon is drinking surprisingly well right now. It does require a bit of time to open up and really become complex, but right out of the gate this wine is quite approachable. Like a typical Texas Cab, this wine is smooth and easy drinking, so pairing with a New York strip steak would definitely not be your best choice. However, enjoying this baby by itself is always recommended, or a nice rosemary-herbed crusted rotisserie chicken with red potatoes would be an excellent dish mate. I can confidently recommend this wine for purchase, as it is priced fairly, while also being quite an easy drinking Cabernet Sauvignon for someone who does not like huge tannin bombs.

Sip, savor, and enjoy my fellow aficionados.