At $20 or less, these two cabernets could be your new fall favorites
The colder weather of fall calls for hearty foods and wines to match. This week we feature two affordably priced cabernets from California and Washington. And to help turn any day into a celebration - or to lead off your holiday toasts - we include a delightful bubbly from Sonoma County.
Gambler’s Ghost Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Two and one-half stars
North Coast, Calif., $18
This tasty cab offers cherry and berry flavors with spice accents, and is a fine accompaniment to a casual meal. Best of all, it doesn’t taste as if it was concocted in a lab from a recipe as do so many inexpensive cabernets. Alcohol by volume: 14.5 percent. Bottle weight: 540 grams (Average).
GREAT VALUE
Mercer Wine Estates Subsoil Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
Three stars
Horse Heaven Hills, Wash., $20
The name Subsoil refers to the sediment deposited in the Columbia Basin by the Missoula Floods, a cataclysm about 18,000 years ago that shaped today’s wine regions in the Pacific Northwest. And yes, this lovely cabernet sauvignon has deep flavors of dark cherry, plum and berries, with soft tannins embracing the finish. Great for steaks, roasts and stews. ABV: 14.5 percent BW: 575 grams (Average).
GREAT VALUE
Piper Sonoma Brut
Three stars
Sonoma County, Calif., $22
What a delicious bubbly - flavors of red currant and raspberry, with some of the toasty, yeasty character that comes from aging on the lees during the second fermentation in the bottle. The bead (the stream of bubbles) is fine and the finish long. It’s not complex, but it’s a lot of fun. ABV: 12.5 percent. BW: 900 grams (Sparkling).
Prices are approximate. For availability, check Wine.com, Wine-searcher.com and the websites and social media feeds of the wineries, importers, distributors, and your favorite local wine store. You can also ask your local retailer to order wines from the distributors listed. Bottle weight is included, because this is the single most important contributor to wine’s carbon footprint. Have wine questions for Dave McIntyre? Send them to Food@washpost.com.
Legend
One star: Good: The wine delivers what it promises at a fair price. If it says chardonnay, it tastes like chardonnay.
Two stars: Excellent: A wine with character and added interest. May elevate your eyebrows at the first sip.
Three stars; Extraordinary: An exciting wine that stands out from others in its class. Fist-pumping, table-thumping good.
Four stars: Sublime: Otherworldly. May have you thinking, “So this is what they were talking about.”