That is a great price for this wine. I think I paid the same for it on LBW. Too bad gino vino doesn’t ship to PA.
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+1
If you like the style of WA Cab it has been my experience that WA nearly always offers a price advantage at just about any level of quality. In addition to QC I am currently buying Cab based wines from Betz and Cayuse but they area bit above your $50 target.
Good call. This wine drinks well above the retail price.
WA isn’t known for Cab like Napa Valley is, so it’s an odd taste off. WA makes its bones in red blends with heavy doses of Merlot which is more tannic in WA than Cab, Cab isn’t ideally suited to many areas and either stays a touch under ripe or can burn in places like Red Mtn. without excellent canopy management. Horse Heaven Hills is best place for Cab IMO.
I second what Hal & Ron were saying on Cadence Winery. The Taptiel & Ceil de Cheval bottlings are normally $45 and worth every penny.
I really enjoy the JB Neufeld, Eight Bells, Lobo Hills, and Kevin White cabernet based wines from Washington State. All are excellent QPRs.
Yeah but Kris - Merlot has a lesser reputation in the US because a lot of it was planted in horrible sites and it produced watery wines. But without knowing beforehand what’s in the glass, or being particularly familiar with the specific sites, given the two blind most people wouldn’t be able to tell which was which. And that actually brings up another point - a lot of those Cab producers that are increasing prices do make pretty comparable Merlot at lower prices. And given that in CA most Cab isn’t 100% anyway, one thing the OP can do is look at Merlot bottlings from the producers he likes.
I sure with Todd (the OP) would circle back and engage in the conversation he started. I hope he takes some of the suggestions and tries them. I’m curious, Todd, what do you drink most frequently, and what do you prefer? Asked another way, if you had a special occasion that called for a special bottle in your cellar, what would you grab?
in WA, Januik is great young and ages well for a long time.
I also like Owen Roe at that price point.
There is a ton at 60 and above.
Thanks for the replies - some wines I definitely need to try. To circle back, as Brandon had suggested -
We drink mostly cabs, and usually Napa (but like other reds as well, although pinot usually not as much.) However, I am unwilling to open a $75 bottle of wine several times a week. (My “special occasion” wines are going to be those $75-$150 Napa cabs.)
I really don’t have much experience with NW red wines. That is something that I need to more actively try. I did recently order a mixed case of cabs/red blends, recommended on a different thread discussing a $20 price point, and those are obviously not Napa wines. (Also got a case from Davenport Cellars, discussed in a closeout thread - phenomenal at $10!)
My interest in this thread is really learning more about what I consider a “mid-range” price, and my willingness/interest in trying well regarded wines that are usually not going to be highly regarded Napa cabs. We currently belong to several wine clubs/lists (getting only reds) including Frog’s Leap, Myriad/Quivet, Frank Family, and Hendry Ranch (just started this one after the great 3 hour tour/seminar we went on last fall. They are reasonably priced, and although it appears they may not have the highest rated wines, George Hendry was a great guy, and I’m happy to support a family production.) I have bought a little Realm from their mailing list, and just got their offering last week - but woah! Those are definitely NOT mid-range! Cheapest bottle was >$100. I’m passing this time. Also signed up for Bedrock & Lokoya’s mailing lists recently.
I will be getting some wines at this “cheaper” price point via BerzerkerDay purchases (including Calluna Cuvee, Scherrer Zin, Sandler Pinot, Virage) as well as some of the Salt Vine Cab (which is pricier.) We used to use California Wine Club as our provider for “cheap” daily wines. However, while they are cheap, they were usually not very good. I cancelled that last year after I found this site, and realized I should be able to find reasonably priced wines - that are probably better - than I was getting with that service.
I would like to try some of these recommendations at some point in the near future, such as Cadence, kenefick Ranch, - but right now my wine “closet” is full. Literally. I need to slow down on my purchases!
I dont really buy much in this category these days, i think gramercy cab is the closest. Used to buy betz, but feel they are over the price range now.
A bit of an off the beaten path option, if you like more restrained models, I typically enjoy the Columbia Crest Walter Clore Reserve- I think normal price is around $30, but it will sometimes show up for $20. Whenever I drink it I wonder why I didnt buy more, especially at that price.
Yep. It’s an under-appreciated wine. Some of the others mentioned are good options. My list would be Calluna, thanks to Mr. Stoneking, and in WA -
- Januik,
Cadence,
Andrew Will,
Pepper Bridge,
Canoe Ridge,
Bookwalter,
L’Ecole 41,
Hedges,
Woodward Canyon,
Arbor Crest,
Robert Karl,
Barrister,
Seven Hills,
Sleight of Hand,
Isenhower,
Cougar Crest.
Again, check out the Merlot as well as the Cab. Northstar was created to specialize in Merlot but it never knocked me out. Don’t overlook the Chateau St. Michelle offerings - they do some smaller lots that are pretty decent.
+1
Good advice on the Merlot. I don’t check them out as much as I should.
A bit of an off the beaten path option, if you like more restrained models, I typically enjoy the Columbia Crest Walter Clore Reserve- I think normal price is around $30, but it will sometimes show up for $20. Whenever I drink it I wonder why I didnt buy more, especially at that price.
I loved the Walter Clore wines from late 90s!
A Washington Merlot just had a very impressive performance in this Berserker tasting [of Bordeaux cultivars from Washington & California]:
[u]TN: Seven wines from 1978 (CA and WA), and a few others... - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers
.
Second Seven Hills. Can often find it on sale for $25 or so too.
no doubt
Wines of Substance for under $20
Todd,
In the event that you might be interested in a Napa cab at the under $50 price-point, I noticed that the 2014 Heitz Napa’s price has dropped to the $45-50 range. I’ve enjoyed this twice recently and am holding a few more for the next several (or more) years. It reminds me of what I recall being stylistically similar to Napa wines from the 90’s, many of which are still drinking quite well.
Picked up a bottle of the 2014 Northstar Merlot Columbia Valley at Costco for $16 and popped it last night. Needless to say, I won’t be going back for more.
2014 Northstar Merlot Columbia Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (3/12/2020)
Young and oaky. Not much Merlot character. Decent balance and mouthfeel. Tastes like one notch up from industrial oak-chipped supermarket wine. At least it’s not a sweet concocted beverage like Apothic Red and its ilk. Perhaps in another 5+ years the oak will integrate and this will more suit my palate, but I wouldn’t count on it. Not a fan. (84 pts.)