For the past couple of months I have been tasting various Napa Valley Cabernets for under $20. I am amazed that so many good ones are out there to savor and enjoy at this price point. Now, even with the recession behind us, the mind-set of the average wine buyer is definitely under the $20 range and these Cabs are excellent buys at this price point.
I have six Napa Valley Cabernet wines that I can recommend. I am going to rank them in the order of my preference, beginning with the best of the six. I hope these wines are still widely available and at the prices I have listed.
Robert Mondavi 2007 Napa Cabernet – $18.99
Those that are regular readers of this blog already know that this is one of my favorite wines under the $20 mark. This wine was a second-place finisher among wines that our Vintage Club members tasted in a blind tasting last fall. All the wines in this taste-off were over $35, except for this wine. Costco has it for under $19.
Louis Martini 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet – $19.99
I found this wine at the Wine Stop in Burlingame. Ever since the huge BevMo opened up on Burlingame Avenue, the Wine Stop has been aggressively pricing their wines. Competition is good for the wine consumer. This wine is a true Cabernet in nose and taste. It is definitely a wine to be drunk now or held for at least a couple of years. Excellent!
BV Rutherford 2007 Cabernet – 19.99
This one is at Costco and quite similar to the Louis Martini. You may not be able to find the Louis Martini for less than $20, except for at the Wine Stop, but the BV Rutherford should be in most Costco stores. Not all Costco wine departments are created equally. If Costco knows the demographics, they will stock their wine departments depending on the clientele. This one is delicious throughout with soft tannins.
Buehler Napa Valley 2007 Cabernet – $18.99
This wine is available at K&L Wines and the Wine Stop for under $20. The Buehler Website is selling it for $24 and that price in itself is a great price. This is a medium-bodied Cabernet that is a fabulous food wine. With no big tannins and nice acidity, it is a great wine to go with meat dishes. Tim Fish of the Wine Spectator did a feature post on the Buehler wines and their value prices. We picked this as one of our wines of the week for March 14th.
Route Stock Cellars 2008 Route 29 Cabernet Sauvignon – $19.99
According the Wine Stop this wine is made from grapes grown by Quintessa, the producers of Cult Cabernet Sauvignon carrying a price tag in excess of $100. This is a big fruit-forward Cabernet. If you like this style, this wine is made for you. Delicious taste and quality!
Textbook 2008 Fin de Journée – $19.99
This is another fine wine made by Susan and Jonathan Pey of Marin County. This one has classic Cabernet flavors. It is not as full of flavors as some of the above, but nonetheless a very good wine at this price. Also at the Wine Stop.
I visited K&L Wines on Wednesday and they have plenty of the Louis Martini Napa Cabernet for $19.99.
I really think the Louis Martini Cabernet is head and shoulders above the others. We need to buy a case of this wine. I would love to pull out a bottle of this wine every now and then over the course of the year.
Yesterday we tasted the 2007 Franciscan Napa Valley Cabernet. Costco has it for $17.99 and I have seen it for $19.99 at The Wine Stop and other wine shops. This wine is excellent. Wine Enthusiast rated it a whopping 94 points. It will be on my “Wines of the Week” this coming Monday.
Joe