{"id":60,"date":"2009-11-27T13:06:47","date_gmt":"2009-11-27T13:06:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kenswineguide.com\/blog\/?p=60"},"modified":"2009-11-27T13:06:47","modified_gmt":"2009-11-27T13:06:47","slug":"highly-rated-cabernets-for-all-budgets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/?p=60","title":{"rendered":"Highly Rated Cabernets For All Budgets"},"content":{"rendered":"

During the last few months we reviewed several Cabs in the $10 to $49 range<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 Several performed very nicely and\u00c2\u00a0most were recommended.\u00c2\u00a0 Our tastings\u00c2\u00a0spoke well\u00c2\u00a0of the quality of\u00c2\u00a0Cabernets at this level.\u00c2\u00a0 Even though several of the top wines were near the higher end of the price range, there were winners at all levels.<\/p>\n

\"Earthquake_2006_Caberent\"The winner of our big blind tasting is no stranger to the KensWineGuide.com Tasting Panel<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2006 Michael and David Phillips “Earthquake” Cabernet<\/a><\/strong> from Lodi took top honors with a score of 92 points<\/strong>. At $28<\/strong> this full bodied Cab is a lot of wine for the money.\u00c2\u00a0 The panel described it as very nicely balanced, smooth, and elegant. It displayed very tasty mild black currant flavors with notes of coffee, bacon, and milk chocolate.\u00c2\u00a0 The panel felt this\u00c2\u00a0Cab would be perfect with a grilled Kobe Steak and a cigar.\u00c2\u00a0 For those of us who don't like cigars, we'll take 2 glasses please!<\/p>\n

\"Stuhlmuller_2006_Cabernet\"Our second place finisher from our big blind Cab tasting was from Stuhlmuller<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 Their 2006 “Alexander Valley” Cabernet<\/a><\/strong> for $36<\/strong> was quite impressive and we scored it Very Good+<\/strong> and awarded it with 91 points<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 This Cab is medium bodied, smooth, and shows very nice finesse.\u00c2\u00a0 The flavor profile is a delicious black currant with notes of black cherry.\u00c2\u00a0 It finishes rather dry, but its building fine tannins show nice length.\u00c2\u00a0 We decided this would be a pleasant offering with filet mignon.<\/p>\n

\"Koyle_2007_Royale_Cabernet\"The next two Cabs also scored 91 points<\/strong> and were covered by me in two separate tastings.\u00c2\u00a0 The first Cab is from a new producer for me.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2007 Koyle “Royale” Cabernet<\/a><\/strong> from Colchagua, Chile is a \"Caravan_2006_Cabernet\"steal for $24<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 I reviewed most of the lineup from this producer and this was my favorite wine.\u00c2\u00a0 It is full bodied, very nicely balanced, and silky.\u00c2\u00a0 It displays very tasty black cherry flavors with notes of spice and a touch of black pepper.\u00c2\u00a0 It is an elegant\u00c2\u00a0Cab that delivers a lot of enjoyment for the money.\u00c2\u00a0 You should seek out this producer and this wine for your holiday parties.\u00c2\u00a0 The next wine is one of the last wines I tried on my trip to California this summer.\u00c2\u00a0 I liked it so much, I bought a bottle to give to my cousin as a housewarming gift.\u00c2\u00a0 Hope you enjoyed it Kevin.\u00c2\u00a0 So what was this great gift giving wine?\u00c2\u00a0 It was the 2006 Caravan “Estate” Cabernet<\/a><\/strong> for $40<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 Caravan is the second label for Napa based Darioush<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2006 vintage turned out to be my favorite Caravan Cab to date.\u00c2\u00a0 It was medium bodied, very well balanced, smooth, and elegant.\u00c2\u00a0 I found it to be very approachable and a tasty blend of mild raspberry and black cherry.\u00c2\u00a0 Kevin I hope you served it with a big thick cut of prime rib!<\/p>\n

\"Sebastiani_2006_Sonoma_County_Cabernet\"Our next 3 wines all scored 90 points<\/strong> and came in under $30<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 The first wine is a big winner for you, our readers.\u00c2\u00a0 Why?\u00c2\u00a0 Because it is a 90 point wine that costs $15<\/strong> and they made 121,000 cases of it.\u00c2\u00a0 So it will be real easy to find.\u00c2\u00a0 So what was this little gem?\u00c2\u00a0 It was the 2006 Sebastiani “Sonoma County” Cabernet<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 It is showing very well right now and it is clearly one of the best Cabs in this price range.\u00c2\u00a0 It won its mini-blind flight in a tasting of its peers.\u00c2\u00a0 It is well balanced and very silky with tasty mild black cherry flavors.\u00c2\u00a0 It is very food friendly and would be a perfect party option for you upcoming holiday parties.<\/p>\n

\"Chateau_Ste_Michelle_2006_Canoe_Ridge_Cabernet\"The next two wines finished in 3rd and 4th place in our big blind Cab tasting<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 They were virtually tied.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2006 Chateau Ste. Michelle \u201cCanoe Ridge\u201d\u009d Cab<\/a><\/strong> ($28<\/strong>) from the Horse Heaven AVA in Washington was very well received.\u00c2\u00a0 This balanced and savory Cab displayed spicy blackberry flavors with interesting hints of dark chocolate and licorice.\u00c2\u00a0 The panel felt Cab would nicely complement a pork roast with porcini au jus or roasted duck.\u00c2\u00a0 \"Charles_Krug_2006_Yountville_Cabernet\"In fourth place by a few % points was the 2006 Charles Krug Cabernet<\/strong><\/a> from Yountville, CA.\u00c2\u00a0 For $23<\/strong> this wine is quite a deal.\u00c2\u00a0 Post 390 in Boston<\/a><\/strong> even has it on this glass pour list.\u00c2\u00a0 I complement them on this fine choice.\u00c2\u00a0 Especially from those of us who really appreciate a quality wine when ordering by the glass.\u00c2\u00a0 The panel found this wine to be nicely balanced and rather smooth with ripe blackberry flavors.\u00c2\u00a0 Notes of black currant, nutmeg, and black pepper all added to this wine’s charm and intrigue.<\/p>\n

\"Reininger_2006_Walla_Walla_Cabernet\"The next 2 wines conclude our 90 point winners<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 Both these Cabs come in at a higher price point, but are certainly worthy of your consideration. The first is the 2006 Reininger “Walla Walla” Cab<\/a><\/strong> for $38<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 Reininger's Walla Walla offerings always seem to finish strong every year.\u00c2\u00a0 This Cab was in one of our mini tastings and it took first place.\u00c2\u00a0 It is full bodied, balanced, and quite polished.\u00c2\u00a0 I really enjoyed its oak infused boysenberry flavor profile.\u00c2\u00a0 Notes of bacon and black currant added to the intrigue.\u00c2\u00a0 I felt that this was a Cab that Old World fans would really appreciate.\u00c2\u00a0 Try it fireside this winter with a nice big plate of beef bourguignon.\u00c2\u00a0 \"Volker_Eisele_2006_Cabernet.gif\"The next wine was the winner of a different mini blind flight of Cabs that ranged in price for $20 to $50.\u00c2\u00a0 It was the 2006 Volker Eisele “Estate” Cab<\/a><\/strong> for $42<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 Better yet for you Green fans, this wine is made from 100% organic grapes.<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0It was full bodied, well balanced, rather smooth, and elegant.\u00c2\u00a0 It’s mild black cherry flavors with notes of blueberry and a dash of wintergreen were very well received.\u00c2\u00a0 We feel this very tasty organic Cab would pair well with many foods.\u00c2\u00a0 But we settled on a NY strip steak in the near term as the best match.<\/p>\n

The next group of wines were all very solid offerings and they all \"Concha_y_Toro_2007_Marques_de_Casa_Concha_Cabernet\"received 89 points.<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 \"Koyle_2007_Cabernet\"There are a lot of familiar names in this group, as well as a few new ones.\u00c2\u00a0 The first one is the always Very Good.\u00c2\u00a0 The \u00c2\u00a02007 Concha y Toro “Marques de Casa Concha”<\/strong> Cab<\/strong><\/a> for $20<\/strong> from Puento Alto, Chile was deemed to be best deal when the results of our mid-tier blind tasting were revealed.\u00c2\u00a0 It is well balanced and very smooth with oak infused sour black cherry and red currant flavors.\u00c2\u00a0 The panel suggested that this Cab would particularly appeal to Old World Cab fans especially at this price point.\u00c2\u00a0 Next up was another very good deal from Chile.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2007 Koyle Cab<\/a><\/strong> from Colchagua, Chile is a steal at $16<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 Better yet, they made 4,000 cases so you should be able to find it.\u00c2\u00a0 But since it is a new label, you might have to educate your wine buyer and have them order it.\u00c2\u00a0 This Cab is medium bodied, well balanced, and fruit forward.\u00c2\u00a0 The flavor profile is a tasty blackberry with notes of black pepper and anise.\u00c2\u00a0 It would be perfect with an Angus bacon burger.<\/p>\n

\"Viader_2006_Dare_Cabernet\"We next move to some offerings from the Napa Valley.\u00c2\u00a0 The first up is the 2006 Viader “Dare” Cabernet<\/a><\/strong> for $45<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 This solid Cab is full bodied, balanced, and fruit forward.\u00c2\u00a0 It displays juicy boysenberry flavors with notes of mild black currant and a dash of black pepper.\u00c2\u00a0 Its noticeable dusty tannins make it perfect for beef stew in the near term.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Freemark_Abbey_2005_Cabernet\"Next we covered the 2005 Freemark Abbey Cab<\/a><\/strong> for $35<\/strong>. This food friendly Cab would be perfect with comfort foods like Theresa's meatloaf or shepherd’s pie.\u00c2\u00a0 It is a contrast to the Dare in that it is medium bodied, balanced, soft, and elegant.\u00c2\u00a0 It projects juicy and fruit forward black cherry flavors while maintaining its very approachable status.\u00c2\u00a0 The finish is well managed with mild tannins making it a winner with food.\u00c2\u00a0 It should be easy to find with 11,168 cases made.<\/p>\n

Silverado<\/strong> is a familiar name from the Napa Valley and their 2005 Cabernet<\/a><\/strong> for $46 was Very Good.\u00c2\u00a0 Like the Freemark, it was medium bodied, very nicely balanced, and elegant.\u00c2\u00a0 However, it has a completely different flavor profile, featuring tasty black currant with notes of black licorice and black pepper.\u00c2\u00a0 The panel would pair it with a leg of lamb or filet mignon in the near term.<\/p>\n

\"Sebastiani_2006_Alexander_Valley_Cabernet\"Next we will focus on two Very Good Cabs from the Alexander Valley.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2006 Sebastiani “Alexander Valley” Cab<\/a><\/strong> for $30<\/strong> was slightly outshined by its little brother as noted above.\u00c2\u00a0 But over the years, we have found this wine to be a late bloomer.\u00c2\u00a0 Out of the gate, one panelist described this young Cab as hedonistic<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 Another called it luscious.\u00c2\u00a0 So as you can see it is a big wine.\u00c2\u00a0 Its flavors were an extracted ripe blackberry with notes of black currant.\u00c2\u00a0 So try a bottle now with duck and save one for\u00c2\u00a0next year.\u00c2\u00a0 We are sure it will reward you for many years to come.\u00c2\u00a0 \"Ferrari_Carano_2006_Cabernet\"Staying in the Alexander Valley, we recommend the 2006 Ferrari Carano Cabernet Sauvignon “Alexander Valley”<\/a><\/strong> for $36<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 While this Cab is not overly complex, we think it was a solid offering.\u00c2\u00a0 We found it to be medium bodied, balanced, smooth, and really coats your mouth.\u00c2\u00a0 Its finish is dry and its building tannins are rather pronounced and linger.\u00c2\u00a0 Like the Sebastiani, this Cab needs a little time to completely come together.\u00c2\u00a0 However, if you can't resist you could enjoy it with a pot roast in the near term.<\/p>\n

\"Beringer_2006_Knights_Valley_Cabernet\"If you like fruit forward, ripe, and juicy Cabernet, we found a Very Good one for you.\u00c2\u00a0 The 2006 Beringer “Knight's Valley” Cab<\/strong><\/a> for $20<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0is just what you are looking for.\u00c2\u00a0 It is medium bodied and smooth, with fruit forward ripe and concentrated juicy blackberry flavors with a hint of anise mixed in.\u00c2\u00a0 A perfect option for duck with a raspberry glaze topping.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Reininger_2007_Helix_Cabernet\"The last 89 pointer<\/strong> is the 2007 Reininger “Helix” Cabernet<\/strong><\/a> from Columbia Valley, WA.\u00c2\u00a0 It is just a step behind its big brother listed above.\u00c2\u00a0 This offering is medium bodied, nicely balanced, and smooth with a pleasant blend of black cherry and vanilla oak.\u00c2\u00a0 This big Cab would pair well with beef bourguignon.<\/p>\n

Other Very Good offerings to consider:
\n<\/strong>1) Kendall Jackson 2006 Cab “Grand Reserve”<\/a><\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0(Sonoma County) $30<\/strong> (88<\/strong>)
\n2) Robert Mondavi 2006 Cab “Napa Valley”<\/a><\/strong> $28<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0(88<\/strong>)
\n3) Alexander Valley Vineyards 2007 Cab<\/a><\/strong> (Alex Valley) $20<\/strong> (88<\/strong>)
\n4) Stark Conde 2006 Cab “Three Pines”<\/a><\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0(Jonkershoek Valley, SA) $42<\/strong> (88<\/strong>)
\n5) Raymond 2006 Cab “Reserve”<\/a><\/strong> (Napa Valley) $35<\/strong> (88<\/strong>)
\n6) Seven Hills 2006 Cab “Seven Hills Vineyard”<\/a><\/strong> (Walla Walla)\u00c2\u00a0$32<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0(88<\/strong>)
\n7) Two Angels 2007 Cab “Mayacamus Mtn”<\/a><\/strong> (Sonoma Valley) $28<\/strong> (87.5<\/strong>)<\/p>\n

Bargain Cabs: Less than $16:<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the Bargain Bin<\/strong> space we found 3 Cabs that qualified as Very Good<\/strong> and\u00c2\u00a04 that are Good+<\/strong> and worthy of you consideration.\u00c2\u00a0 All would be good Practical Party Case<\/strong> options for your holiday parties.<\/p>\n

\"Windmill_2006_Cabernet\"The best deal is the 2006 Windmill Cab<\/a><\/strong> from “Lodi” for $12<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 This wine scored 88 points<\/strong> and was a solid second place finisher in a mini blind tasting flight of affordable Cabs.\u00c2\u00a0 It is full bodied, balanced, and soft.\u00c2\u00a0 The wine has 11% Petite Sirah mixed in which adds to its structure.\u00c2\u00a0 It displays oak infused black currant flavors with notes of dark chocolate and black cherry.\u00c2\u00a0 It's a pleasant and easy going Cab that has some character that would pair well with a big thick mushroom and Swiss Angus burger.<\/p>\n

\"Dona_Paula_2007_Estate_Cabernet\"The next 2 Cabs both come from Argentina and are Very Good.\u00c2\u00a0 They\u00c2\u00a0were given scores of 87 points<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 The first is the 2007 Vina Dona Paula “Estate” Cab<\/a><\/strong> for $16<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 This offering was medium bodied and balanced with slightly sour black cherry flavors that are quite jammy.\u00c2\u00a0 It would be a perfect wine with a big thick burger.\u00c2\u00a0 \"Elsa_2008_Cabernet\"The other Argentinean offering was the 2008 Elsa Bianchi Cab<\/a><\/strong> for $9<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0 This offering was full bodied, balanced, smooth, and easy to drink.\u00c2\u00a0 Its mild black cherry and black currant flavors are gently infused with some old oak.\u00c2\u00a0 This wine would pair well with Theresa's meatloaf.<\/p>\n

The last\u00c2\u00a04 Cabs are all Good +<\/strong> wines that are very affordable and Good values.\u00c2\u00a0 They are a safe choice for your next party or as a pub glass pour option.<\/p>\n

1) Cono Sur 2008 Cab “Bicycle”<\/a><\/strong> (Central Valley, Chile) $10<\/strong> (86<\/strong>)
\n2) Man Vintners 2007 Cab<\/a><\/strong> (Coastal Region, S. Africa)\u00c2\u00a0$11<\/strong> (86<\/strong>)
\n3) Columbia Crest 2006 Cab “Grand Estates”<\/a><\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0 (Columbia Valley, WA) $11<\/strong> (86<\/strong>)
\n4) Gallo Family 2007 Cab “Sonoma County”<\/a><\/strong> $15<\/strong> (86<\/strong>)<\/p>\n

We hope you have as much fun going through all these Cabs as we did.\u00c2\u00a0 As you can see, there are plenty of quality options from the low\u00c2\u00a0end to\u00c2\u00a0the mid-price range.\u00c2\u00a0 Stay tuned for our High-End Cab post in the next week or so.\u00c2\u00a0 They make great Gifts for Christmas!!\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cheers,\u00c2\u00a0 Ken<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

During the last few months we reviewed several Cabs in the $10 to $49 range.\u00c2\u00a0 Several performed very nicely and\u00c2\u00a0most were recommended.\u00c2\u00a0 Our tastings\u00c2\u00a0spoke well\u00c2\u00a0of the quality of\u00c2\u00a0Cabernets at this level.\u00c2\u00a0 Even though several of the top wines were near the higher end of the price range, there were winners at all levels. The winner […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,11,8,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cabernet-sauvignon","category-kens-wine-guide-tasting-panel","category-wine-recommendations","category-wine-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=60"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=60"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=60"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=60"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}