The folks at Asti Winery in Sonoma, CA did a nice job on the 2005 Cellar No. 8 Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Cellar No. 8 is named after a cellar in the Asti Winery in Sonoma  County, California, which was founded by Italian immigrant Andrea Sbarboro in the early 1880′s.  Sbarboro named the winery after the Asti region in Northern Italy and incorporated Italian winemaking methods in the winery.  The winery was later bought by Beringer, which was subsequently bought by the Foster’s Group from Australia.

Currently little-to-no marketing behind the Cellar No. 8 brand.  At least I haven’t come across any.  So I’m not sure what Foster’s is planning for this brand.  The only current online promotion is on the Foster’s corporate site.

While they figure out how they want to market this brand, I’ll just enjoy it.

The Cellar No. 8 Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 shows tobacco, Bing cherries, leather and a hint of strawberry on the nose.  There’s a nice presence of fruit, but it’s not a fruit bomb.  Cherries, blackberries and plum are well blended on the palate.  It’s very well balanced.  The finish is silky smooth with a bit of pepper.

I gave it a 90 and bought some more to enjoy. 

Wine: Cellar No. 8
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2005
Alcohol: 13% 
Rating: 90
Price Paid: $9.99