The 2022 Nine Points Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa came with a back label so brief I thought maybe the rest of it fell off in shipping. Apparently the grapes are from “all over Napa,” which sounds less like a curated vineyard experience and more like they drove around with a basket saying, “We’ll take whatever you’ve got.” There was just a sprinkle of fluffy prose, but mostly it kept things short and sweet—kind of like the wine equivalent of a shrug.
First sip: easy drinking, medium puckeryishness (fancy folks call that tannins), a touch of oak, and some nice jammy flavor without turning into liquid grape candy. Thank you, wine gods, for not making this one sugary like so many bargain-bin Cabs that taste like someone stirred Kool-Aid into a barrel. This one actually felt like a Cab. Not a fancy Cab, but a “hey, I’m doing my best and it’s working” Cab.
Pairing choice? Crazy Taters—potatoes stuffed with whatever mystery meat and cheese were lurking in the fridge drawer. A bold culinary move. And you know what? The wine held up beautifully. It didn’t judge my life choices, and I didn’t judge its “grapes from everywhere” origin story. We all just got along and enjoyed the ride.
At $9.99, this is a solid revisit candidate. It’s not trying to be a collector’s item or impress your wine-snob cousin. It just shows up, does its job, and pairs nicely with questionable potato decisions. Honestly, that’s all I’m asking for these days.
