An organic cabernet sauvignon that pairs well with everything — and only costs $20
California's Mendocino County is the number one producer of organic wine in the United States. Its top winery makes a cabernet sauvignon that's a steal.
Cabernet sauvignon is the world’s most popular and widely planted red wine grape, but it’s not easy to find satisfying bottles for less than $20. Many value-oriented versions lack concentration and complexity, veering either into gooey fruitiness or an anemic green flavor that tastes closer to veggies than to fruit.
Bonterra is one of California’s leading organic wine producers. Their products are generally well made for the price across the board, but Bonterra’s cabernet sauvignon might be the best of the bunch. If you’re looking for a new go-to, you might want to snap up a case of this dry and midweight wine before May 3 while it’s roughly 25% off.
Located in California’s Mendocino County, Bonterra is largely responsible for the region being the number one producer of organic wine grapes in the United States. The terrain is far less suited to agriculture than that of its coastal neighbor to the south, Sonoma County. Its landscape is dominated by forested hills, making the handful of valleys there remote and sparsely populated.
In the ‘70s, Mendocino County’s rugged area attracted bohemian types looking to get back to nature. Bonterra began in this spirit in 1987 as an organic-focused side project by the family behind Fetzer Vineyards — then the county’s largest winery.
Stylistically, this wine is not a heavyweight, but rather a nimble and well-balanced version of cabernet sauvignon that pairs just as well with red sauce or poultry as it does with steak. The wine matures for 15 months in French oak barrels to smooth its texture and add complexity, using mostly older “neutral” barrels that don’t mask its inherent black cherry and blackberry flavors.
Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon
California; 13.8% ABV
PLCB Item #8064 — on sale for $12.99 through May 3 (regularly $16.99)
Also available at: Moorestown Super Buy Rite in Moorestown ($11.49; moorestownbuyrite.com), Wine Warehouse in Mantua ($12.49; mantua.winewarehousenj.com), and Total Wine & More in Wilmington, Del. ($11.99; totalwine.com)