*** Chez Ray Cabernet Sauvignon, CA, 2002

This well-aged "kit" wine was prepared from Wine Art "Gold" version cabernet sauvignon from 2002.  It is deep magenta in the glass, even after eight years in the bottle.  Aromas are full, fleshy and lightly sweet.  On the palate, this does show the classic kit wine simpleness on the palate, with no challenging tannins nor acids.  The flavor is a bit less fruity than some of the kit wines, however, offering a more satisfying sleekness.  In that regard, the primary palate note is a dry black cherry, buttressed by ripe blackberry.  Because of the pleasantness, a three star rating on the five-star Spirit of Wine scale.