Alcohol Name: Bar Dog

Alcohol Type: Cabernet Sauvignon

Alcohol Content: 13.5%, 27 Proof

Price Point: Budget, $12-$13, common availability 

Nose: Juicy dark fruit

Flavor Profile: Dark fruit, spices

Bottom Line: This is a young red wine with underdeveloped flavor. The proceeds from the profits made off this wine go toward animal relief, which is an excellent sentiment – but the wine itself is subpar.

Bar Dog is a California wine that is only aged a couple of years making it a very young wine. The price puts this wine at the lower end. The bottle was really the only reason I decided to try this wine, which has a picture of a small dog on it and I thought my wife would enjoy trying it. Another interesting note is that it was the last bottle on the shelf, which made me believe it was a popular wine I had yet to try.

The nose and flavors for this wine were underdeveloped. The nose had some spices and fruit aromas, mostly juicy dark fruit. The flavor is what really stood out to me as being underwhelming. To me this cabernet was very sweet. I could really pick out the blueberry and chocolate finish. 

Personally, I would put this wine in the dessert category. It was not overwhelmingly sweet, but it was not as dry as I prefer my reds. This wine is a nice sentiment but nothing more. The description on the back explains how proceeds go to animal relief, which is a vey charitable act but the truth is the wine is not that high of quality.

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Alcohol Content: 13.9%, 27.8 Proof

Price Point: Mid-High Shelf, $30-$40, only found at Cooper’s Hawk establishments

Nose: Mixed dark berries, vanilla, oak

Flavor Profile: Blackberry, dark cherry, leather

Bottom Line: This is a great special occasion wine. It has a balanced body and retains its quality and flavor. A must have for any red meat dinner. 

The Lux Cabernet Sauvignon from Cooper’s Hawk is a dry American red. This wine is only found at Cooper’s Hawk establishments and can be purchased whether you are a member or not. Since its alcohol content is 13.9%, it falls under the full red classification of wine. 

At first pour, you can see that this wine is bold. It is dark red in color and has a medium viscosity. Since full red wines tend to have a more complex profile, it is recommended to let this bottle aerate before consuming. This brings some of the sweeter flavors and aromas out. On the nose it is very easy to pick up some of the darker berries such as blackberries and dark cherries. After some aeration, the vanilla can be picked out as well.

As far as full-bodied reds go, this one is not that complex and is quite balanced. The most prevalent taste for me was the blackberry. After a little while I could pick up the cherry. I ended up saving half the bottle for the day after to continue tasting. On the second day, the wine was noticeably sweeter. I could get more of the vanilla and oak flavors compared to the first day. 

This is one of my favorite celebrations or special event wines. It is balanced enough to be a crowd pleaser without sacrificing any quality. It pairs well with a large variety of foods and will not break the bank.

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