I went to The Parlour Wine Bar with a dear friend to savor life and try to relax from all the bad luck my office has had. I had opted out of any appetizers or things to add to my night, but on the flight listings the cabernet sauvignon listing really piqued my interest. I had fallen in love with the Stevenot estates cabernet sauvignon, so I kept with that to experiment and try to get a better appreciation for cabernets.

The wines were as follows from the menu:

• Joel Gott 815 (California)
• Craneford Ally Parson’s (Barossa)
• Montes Alpha (Alpata Vineyard, Colchagua)

The first wine was the lightest of them all. There were very strong floral notes from smelling the wine from the glass after a light swirl. The floral scent was also a bit savory and made my mouth water a bit, but also there was a light hint of the alcohols from the wine blossoming. On tasting the Joel Gott 815, I could taste a touch of sweetness with in a fusion of mixed berries and smoke. It settled very nicely on my palette and was far from drowning me in flavors. The taste was simple, but also elegant to my inexperienced tongue. The finish was a very bold one and had a tinge of a linger. The linger was one that almost like a parting kiss. This is a wine I would love to share with many and have a few cases on hand.

The Craneford Ally Parson’s was one I was not much of a fan of. It was the middle of the flight. This wine had more of a berry note with a splash of citrus and alcohol notes after a swirl in the glass. On taking a taste, the wine seemed to have a bitter attack on first sip… but then slowly opening up with notes of citrus and berries. The finish was a little bitter with just a touch of spices when it lingered. This one just gave me a mood of parting ways with a good friend from how the wine finishes off.

The Montes Alpha was a wine I was impressed by greatly. This one had the most time to blossom and mix with the air, so I knew that the scent would have much to offer. After giving the glass a swirl, I would take a good deep sniff to try to absorb the scents. I was hit by a wave of berries with just a touch of floral and spice notes. The scent had very little alcohol backing the the wonderful bouquet of smells. The taste was actually easier than the wine before it, though it had more of a focus on flavors of leather (I think) and spices rather the fruits and flowers I sniffed before. The finish was one that fused both the smell and taste into a powerful linger that was very savory at the end. This one was a wine I would love to pair with a nice filet mignon or some dark chocolate covered strawberries for a very special occasion.

I would like to thank The Parlour for their great staff assisting me that night and I will definitely be returning for another flight of wines or spirits to explore my horizons.