Good Wine Buy – a Northern California Cabernet for $30.00!

Here’s a low-priced Cabernet from Sonoma — it’s the 2010 Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet, and it’s priced at just $30. This AVA is only seven miles north of Calistoga; and, if you drive north from there, you might not realize that you’ve left Napa Valley. The tannic structure on this wine is such that, if you drink it now, it will be best with food or appetizers or decanted. The production is large enough that it should be available in many outlets, and it’s a value worth pursuing and a bottle worth aging. You could buy three bottles and drink one now, one a year from now, and one down the road. The 2009 vintage of this wine made Wine Spectators’ top 100 list. Will this one make it? I dare not say, but maybe.

Just a note about Wine Spectator’s top 100 list. There are specific criteria that the magazine uses to determine what is worthy of the list. Specifically, they consider, of course, wines that are well crafted; but they also consider wines that are well priced and have a certain level of production. Kudos to them, because it would be a shame to highlight only expensive, limited production wines.

So why am I pointing this out now? Because these values don’t come along that often with Cabernet; and this is a well crafted, well-structured wine that can be enjoyed now and can age. Many times these types of bottles get noticed too late; and, by the time most folks become aware, the shelves are empty.

This is also a good opportunity to point out that, while we all may drink the same wine, what we taste may not be the same. Point in fact: Below are two different reviews of this wine – Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet 2010.

1)  “Pure and clean, offering excellent fruit complexity, with wild berry, blueberry, spice and cedar flavors, firm tannins and good length. Drink now through 2018. 85,000 cases made.”  –Wine Spectator

2)  “Beringer’s 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon (Knights Valley) is endowed with serious minerality and tension. Firm tannins support an expressive core of dark red fruit, grilled herbs, asphalt and savory herbs, all of which come to life in a vibrant Cabernet Sauvignon long on personality and character. This is a serious wine for the money. Like so many wines in this vintage, it has tons of energy and vibrancy. If opened within the next few years, the 2010 is likely to require decanting to open up. The blend is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020.” –Wine Advocate.

Note that while these two reviews have some similarities, they are not exactly the same.  These are both experienced wine critics. What I’d like to offer is that we all have different experiences; we all have different associations with flavors and aromas that many times are unique to us in our perception. You will not always match up to somebody else’s descriptors. Give yourself the freedom to explore what is in the glass and practice describing what you know — what are the nuances that you taste and smell — and do not feel constrained by a reviewer’s interpretation. It is okay to taste something different. Now I am not saying that you should get lemon from Cabernet! There are certain varietal characteristics that one would expect from each grape variety, yet also know that many wine making techniques add different nuances.  So please let yourself explore!

Enjoy!