Last spring we discovered the pleasures of Long Island's wine region and brought home some drinkable (but, to be honest, not outstanding) Cabernets. Last summer we traveled to Paso Robles and tasted our way through the East and West valleys (where a war's a ragin'). More recently we've come under the spell of Chilean wines, sampling a variety of well-priced and highly drinkable wines of all vintages .  We decided to put some Cabs from these disparate regions to the test and invited our friends, neighbors and fellow wine-nuts Ron and Patrice to take part in the challenge.

I'd love to say there was a method to our madness. "Oh, the terroirs complement one another" or "the climates are a stark contrast." Alas, the truth is they were in our cellar and begging to be tasted.  And so we did. We conducted the tasting over two nights; the first just the VinoDuo were present; the second included Ron and Patrice.

The Contenders
Jason's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 (Long Island)             $13 (for the '02; out of 2001)
In Situ Cabernet Sauvignon, Grand Reserve 2005 (Chile)    $20
Montes Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve, 2004 (Chile)           $12
Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (Paso Robles)      $16


Jason's Vineyard
Gary and Lisa were rooting for Jason's Vineyard. We're evangelists for small boutique wineries and had fond memories of last summer's tasting. We liked the Cab enough to buy it and weren't completely disappointed on the first night of this week's tasting. But when Ron and Patrice joined in on night 2, Jason's got trashed.

Where Lisa appreciated the leather and tobacco on the nose and a strong finish, Patrice recoiled from its "wacky nose; mothball-y scent; harsh finish." The first night Gary noted its "luscious cherry flavors." But by night 2 he was complaining it was "lacking structure" and had an "off-taste." Ron simply poured out his glass and asked "what else is there?"

In Situ      Gary and Lisa's favorite
This delicious Chilean Cab from the Aconcagua Valley "screams fruit" according to Gary. We all noted strong cherry and berry tastes, with cassis on the tip of the tongue. Lisa picked up a chocolate aftertaste. Patrice and Ron, by now tough customers, both raved about it. Ready to drink now, this "velvety" 2005 Cab will be amazing in a few years.

In Situ is one of three brands produced by Viña San Esteban, a family business whose wines are made principally for export.  The Grand Reserve is aged in French oak for 12 months. The 23003 won the silver medal at Vinalies & Bruxelles 2005.

Montes
Montes is probably the best-known Chilean wine brand, with plenty of awards and accolades dating back to 1989 to show for it. The Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon 2003/04 ranks high on the VinoDuo Good and Cheap/Good and Pricey posting.  Unfortunately, the '04 Reserve Cab didn't win any awards at the VinoDuo wine tasting. "Smells like mold and tobacco," sniffed Patrice. Not exactly the "nose packed with layers of caramel, cinnamon, candy, and hints of mint" trumpted on the label. Ron charitably said the Montes tasted good with the chocolate we provided, and maybe steak, "but that's it." The label also boasts the Cab is "a spicy, full-flavoured wine, with good body." Au contraire, said Lisa, who deemed the wine "thin and uninteresting." I guess this Montes won't be making it onto our Good and Cheap listing any time soon.

Liberty School  Ron and Patrice's favorite
When we visited Paso Robles we drove right past Treana, the producers of Liberty School wines. Fortunately, we caught up with Treana at the Boston Wine Expo and fell hard for the 2004 Cab. Sourced from a number of family farmers with vineyards in Paso Robles, the '04 Liberty School doesn't scream "CABERNET." It's light, subtle, not "a rich, bloody Cab," as Patrice described it. Ron likened it to Stag Leap's Cab, which I'm assuming is a compliment. He also found it "so much smoother than the others" we tasted. Both Ron and Patrice proclaimed it their favorite.  Gary and Lisa are still big fans, but In Situ was their choice for the Cheapo Challenge.