The Original Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine is deep, with aromas of blackberry, Olallieberry, toasted oak, dried coriander, and notes of dark chocolate on the nose. The flavors on the palate are Boysenberry, black licorice, orange zest, black peppercorn layered with dried herbs, and a juicy dry finish. Pair with your weekday take away

This simple, drink-now wine offers prominent notes of vanilla followed by fresh and dried violet, fresh and dried black cherry, raisin, prune, licorice and chocolate.

The front label of this bottle of seeks to give the prospective buyer a clue as to what they might expect with these words: “Bold – Complex – Oak.” It does a reasonably good job in this case, with bold dark fruit and a complex mix of herb and spice knit together by toasted oak, all present aromatically and as palate flavors. For 8 bucks? C’mon!(Rich Cook)

This layered and lavishly oaked wine is amazingly complex for its modest price. It boasts aromas of tobacco, wood char and graphite followed by medium-intensity black cherry and blueberry. Moderate tannins and a broad mouthfeel complete the attractive picture. Jim Gordon

Strong flavors of cinnamon rolls and sawdust dominate the fruit flavors in this moderately tannic, heavily oaked wine. Jim Gordon

This is the second wine I've tried from Longshot, a Gallo brand that is specifically for the Canadian market. It's known as Dark Horse in the United States. The wines deliver on what they promise, and at a fair price. This shows juicy, slightly confected dark fruits with a smattering of sweet oak spices. It's made to fit the style, with an evident winemaking imprint, but it's a solid midweek pour that will appeal broadly. 5 g/L residual sugar helps to smooth out the palate. (Geoffrey Moss MW).

This medium- to full-bodied wine leads with spicy smoky oak in the aromas and pours more oak over the ripe cherry and black-plum flavors. It's not a bad choice for those with a taste for wood, and has a smooth, lightly tannic texture. Jim Gordon

This Gallo brand demonstrates the remarkable ability of the Gallo family to put a beautiful wine on the dinner table at a price most everyone can handle. The 2016 Cabernet shows ripe blackberry and plum notes, a touch of spice and smooth tannins. It was a Platinum Award winner at the 2019 Critics Challenge International Wine & Spirits Competition. (Robert Whitley)

Bold flavors and a muscular structure make this wine stand out, delivering plenty of substance for its modest price. Smoky, peppery aromas lead to dark fruit flavors with smoky, spicy accents, while the body is medium and texture firmly tannic.

A really good wine for the price, this offers a dark color and varietal aromas of black cherry, black olive and faint dried herbs. Next it layers handsome oak on the rich and fruity flavors. The texture is quite dense without being heavy; while somewhat tannic the mouthfeel is not drying.