So, I picked up this bottle of 2022 Sonoma Revere Cabernet Sauvignon, thinking, “Hey, maybe this will be one of those underrated gems.” I turn it around, ready for the usual wine label nonsense like “notes of blackberry and leather with a whisper of toasted oak.” Instead? BAM. Full-blown California statehood fan fiction. Apparently, this wine was inspired by Paul Revere’s military descendant who rode west, conquered Sonoma with a bottle of Merlot, and probably wrestled a bear or something. Only. One. Sentence about the actual wine. I came for flavor notes, not a fifth-grade history report.
But hey, I’m not here to read, I’m here to drink. And to its credit, once I stopped laughing, I found that the wine itself wasn’t half bad. It came in swinging with a dry, slightly mouth-puckering vibe, like it wanted to challenge my taste buds to a duel at dawn. There’s a subtle sweetness at the finish—barely enough to soften the edges, but just enough to make you go, “Okay, I’ll allow it.” And then there’s this extremely delicate, almost shy note of oak, walnut, cedar, or mesquite… or maybe just a passing whiff of someone’s BBQ down the street.
It’s definitely on the dry side, which I respect. A wine that makes you reach for your water glass is doing something right—or possibly trying to dehydrate you into submission. Either way, at 14% ABV, it’s not messing around. This is the kind of wine that wants to be taken seriously but still shows up to the dinner table wearing colonial boots and yelling about manifest destiny.
I paired it with leftover prime rib that I tossed back on the smoker, because I’m classy like that. And honestly? The wine was good enough for the meat. Not great, but solid. Like a background character in a war movie—doesn’t steal the scene, but does its job. The dry tannins actually stood up to the smoky, beefy goodness, and for that, I salute it. With a very small, slightly sarcastic salute.
Final thoughts? I wouldn’t go shouting, “The wine is coming! The wine is coming!” but if you’re in the mood for something dry, patriotic, and slightly educational, this’ll do at $9.99.
Cheers, comrades in cabernet. 🍷🇺🇸
Types of Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon and a big question of other grapes
ABV % / Fun Juice Level: 14%
Origin: Sonoma County, CA
Grocery Outlet Price: $9.99
