Fat Bastard 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

Fat Bastard wine...who says the French don't have a sense of humor?

At $8 a bottle this is certainly one of the better low end wines out there. If you want a French wine for under $10, don't hesitate grabbing a bottle.

A lot of cheap wine, especially all the animal label wines from Australia, tend to be sweet, intensely fruity, and show little to no varietal qualities. I had a regular Yellow Tail Shiraz a few weeks ago and though it was drinkable, I realized in halfway through my glass that had it been served to me blind, I would have no clue what it is....it certainly didn't taste like Shiraz....maybe a Zinfandel, or maybe a blend, but not Shiraz.

This actually tastes like Cabernet. I smell some blackberry and wood on the nose. There's definitely oak and spice on the palate, along with some nice blackberry fruit. In the glass, this is dark--dark purple, almost black. Somewhat surprisingly, it's actually dry and well balanced...there's some nice acid, it's not too oaky, not too fruity, and tannins are velvety. There's not much complexity, but if you care about complexity, you shouldn't be getting change back on a $10 bill.

For the money, you can do much worse. I wouldn't hesitate trying their other varietals, and if I'm looking for a bolder wine for a casual dinner I would gladly pick this one up again. The best under $10 Cabernet I've had in a very long time.