Cooper & Thief 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Cellarmaster Select California Aged in Bourbon Barrels

Cooper & Thief 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon (California) Aged in Bourbon Barrels is a bold, plush, bourbon-kissed Cabernet built for instant gratification—dark fruit density, velvety texture, and a dessert-spice finish that reads like the intersection of Cabernet and a well-made whiskey Old Fashioned. It’s an ideal “crowd-pleaser” red: rich, smooth, and unapologetically oak-driven, designed for steak nights, burgers, and fireside pours.

Origins & Craftsmanship
Made from 100% California-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, this 2022 bottling is intentionally styled as a “wine for the whiskey lover.” After primary winemaking, it spends three months aging in bourbon whiskey barrels, a finishing step that layers in pronounced vanilla, caramel, and spice while softening the texture into a rounder, more velvety mouthfeel. The result is less about classic, restrained Cabernet purity and more about an elevated, spirits-barrel-aged profile—dark-fruited, glossy, and richly seasoned by toasted wood.

Critics Reviews
The Tasting Panel Magazine awarded Cooper & Thief Cabernet Sauvignon 92 points, recognizing the wine’s polished, bourbon-barrel-aged style.

In published tasting commentary, The Tasting Panel highlights the barrel-aging impact with notes like boysenberry tart and espresso-laden cake, followed by deeper tones of black cherry and walnut with resonant chocolate and cedar.

Tasting Profile
Nose: Dark cherry and plum lead with a sweet, bourbon-wood overlay—vanilla, caramel, and warm spice—followed by hints of cocoa, cedar, and espresso-like toast.

Palate: Full-bodied and lush, with ripe black fruit and a smooth, velvety glide. Bourbon-barrel seasoning brings dessert-spice richness—caramelized oak, baking spice, and chocolate—while the Cabernet core stays firmly in the dark-fruit lane.

Finish: Long and rounded, trailing vanilla-caramel warmth, cocoa, and a softly toasty, cedar-tinged close.

Quick Overview