Cabernet Sauvignon is so popular it’s the world’s most planted red grape. But from its most sought after regions, Bordeaux and Napa, it is a challenge to find really good samples for less than $50. But if you still want a California Cab, Sonoma County and Paso Robles are the places to look.
Cabernet has been planted in Sonoma County since the 1850s, now on about 12,000 acres in its warmer subregions.
2019 Rodney Strong Alexander’s Crown ($90) single vineyard in Alexander Valley; juicy red fruits, complex notes of licorice, tobacco, cocoa, silky; the 2020 Sonoma County ($30) is a fine value
2020 Jordan Alexander Valley ($60) vibrant red berries, tobacco, crushed stone, elegant
2022 Ch. St. Jean Knights Valley ($53) blueberry, creamy, cocoa, caramel, mint, tannic
2022 La Crema Sonoma County ($45) juicy red fruits, creamy, fresh, supple tannins
2018 Crossbarn Sonoma County ($45) dark fruits, light wood note, fennel, very flavorful
California’s fastest growing wine region and largest geographic appellation, Paso Robles encompasses more than 40,000 vineyard acres and 200+ wineries. Winemaking here can be traced to Franciscan missionaries in the late 1700s. Now known to many as a haven for Rhône-style wines, Paso actually grows more cabernet sauvignon.
2020 Ancient Peaks “Pearl” ($72) 2020 “Oyster Ridge” ($60) from its Margarita Vineyard, the southernmost vineyard in the region; Pearl, from the estate’s top blocks, shows good grip to rich, ripe red and dark berries, with tight, soft tannins; Oyster Ridge’s Bordeaux-style blend shows tangy, peppery, earthy character with succulent red and blue fruits
2021 Daou Reserve ($60) DAOU’s almost singular focus on Cabernet Sauvignon has yielded some of Paso’s most expensive bottlings; this more affordable Bordeaux-style blend offers vivid red fruits, broad texture and complex menthol, tobacco, pepper
2021 J. Lohr Hilltop ($35) one of Paso’s pioneers (now tis largest producer) and an early proponent of Paso Cabernet; dark fruit, red licorice, toasty, caramel, coffee
2022 Postmark Paso Robles ($30) part of Duckhorn portfolio; dark fruits, soil notes, touch of oak, soft palate, lifted finish
2022 Textbook Paso Robles ($27) family-owned producer also active in Napa; deep dark fruit, chocolate, fennel, good value