I tried 4 wines backed by NBA players and was blown away by Dwyane Wade's Cabernet Sauvignon

In recent years, NBA players have gotten increasingly into wine.

While some players simply boast about their impressive collections and tastes, others have gotten into the wine business itself.

With the help of Vivino, we taste-tested and reviewed four wines backed and produced by NBA players.

Our wines included: CJ McCollum's Heritage 91 Pinot Noir, Channing Frye and Kevin Love's Chosen Family Pinot Noir, James Harden's J-Shed Cabernet Sauvignon, and Dwyane Wade's Wade Cellars Three by Wade Cabernet Sauvignon.

Dear reader, I am not a wine expert and probably not qualified to be tasting and reviewing wine.

I do, however, have a basic understanding of wine. I have been to a few tastings and have what some (read: me) might call an exquisite palate. So, I tried in earnest to identify what was happening in each glass.

I also relied on Vivino reviews to see what other casual wine-drinkers thought of each wine.

Being that there are two different types of wines here — pinot noirs and Cabernet Sauvignon — it's not entirely fair to compare them directly to one another. These are scored simply by what I enjoyed.

First up: McCollum's Heritage 91 2019 Pinot Noir.

McCollum is at the forefront of the wine movement in the NBA. Heritage 91 launched in 2020, and McCollum bought a 318-acre vineyard in Willamette Valley in Oregon.

McCollum's pinot noir poured a lovely clear, ruby red. The smell was delightful, perhaps with a hint of cherry and vanilla.

The taste was a bit different than the smell — a tad bitter, dry, and light-bodied. I got a hint of cranberry and raspberry. I enjoyed it more as it aerated.

Vivino users give it a very strong 4.5. Here's what some reviewers said:

Pinot noirs aren't my favorite wine, and ultimately, I felt a little differently than Vivino users. My rating: 3 stars!

Next up was Chosen Family's Pinot Noir — a collaboration between former Cleveland Cavaliers teammates Kevin Love and Channing Frye.

Though Chosen Family makes their wine out of Oregon, this particular bottle was made in Sonoma County, in collaboration with Salty Goats.

A wax seal around the cork (that I made a mess trying to remove) temporarily halted my progress, but alas, I persevered.

Once opened, the wine poured a darker, cloudier red than McCollum's pinot noir. Its smell was earthier, with a bit of a smoky, woodsy scent (though still fruity, too).

True to its smell, this pinot was a bit more earthy, fuller-bodied, and less bitter than Heritage 91. I tasted a bit of plum.

Vivino users gave it a 4.2. Here's what some reviewers said:

I enjoyed this one and found myself wanting to drink more — 4 stars!

Armed with a light buzz, I moved onto the Cabernets. Up next: James Harden's J-Shed.

Harden's approach to his wine was refreshing. A press release on Vivino said the wine was for casual drinkers and aimed to be accessible, rather than impressive to oenophiles.

When opening the wine, the sweetness was evident right away. It had a grape jelly, flowery smell. It had thicker legs, which can be seen in the photo.

And that was not deceiving: This wine was startlingly sweet, with a jammy, fruity, dessert-like taste.

Vivino users felt similarly to me, giving it a 3.6 stars.

I can appreciate what Harden was going for with this wine: It's very sweet, accessible, and tasted like something you might find at a casual dinner party. It grew on me over time, but the sweetness was a bit much and foretold a nasty hangover if you had too much. 3.5 stars!

Finally, it was onto Dwyane Wade's "Three By Wade" Cabernet.

Wade Cellars was founded in 2014 in Napa Valley, California, with renowned winemaker Jayson Pahlmeyer.

Cool cork.

Upon opening this wine, it struck me as immediately different than the previous three wines: It was the darkest of the four, with a smoky, almost bourbon-like smell.

Sure enough, this was a big California Cab, which I tend to like. It was full-bodied, with dark fruits like black cherry, and a bit smoky and boozy. One of my notes on this wine simply says, "Yup."

Vivino users gave it 4 stars.

Indeed, this was my favorite of the four — 4.5 stars!

Um... does anyone need some wine?