Picket Fence Cabernet Sauvignon – Dark and Delicious

This is one of those wines that I don’t have a big background story on.  It comes from Picket Fence, which is a brand in the Bronco Wine Company portfolio.  You may not have ever heard of Bronco Wine Company, but you’ve probably consumed some of their wines.  They are a giant in the bargain-priced wine category, with well over 100 brands in their portfolio (based on the list on their website).

A lot of the wines in the Bronco portfolio don’t have a specific appellation designation, beyond something broad like “California.”  But Picket Fence comes from the Alexander Valley AVA in the northern part of Sonoma.  This region is known for it’s cabernet sauvignon.

This may sound strange, but this wine smells dark.  And I don’t think that’s due to the fact that I’m listening to some old industrial music as I write these notes.  The aromatics are dense, intense and coincidentally remind me of dark-colored things like black currants, beets, black olives, blackberries and leather.  It smells wonderful, although “dark” is not what I expected from a wine named “Picket Fence” – a name that conjures visions of a bright sunny day outside.

The palate is fantastic, offering vibrant acidity, a silky mouthfeel and delicious fruit flavors such as blackberry, cherry and black raspberry.  The finish brings spicy fruit flavors that linger.  Overall, this is a very good wine.

Wine: Picket Fence Cabernet Sauvignon
Varieties: Cabernet sauvignon
Vintage: 2010
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 88
Average price: $17.99
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.