If the 2021 vintage for North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon is as good as it was for Pinot Noir, wine lovers will have many great bottlings to look forward to. (Stay tuned for senior editor James Molesworth’s upcoming, annual California Cabernet report). This week’s lineup showcases affordable, generally higher-volume California Cabernets from the 2021 vintage, most from Napa Valley and Sonoma.
Among the top-scoring reds is a Cabernet from the value-focused Joel Gott Wines. Most of the wines in the winery’s portfolio blend grapes from multiple Golden State regions and are, consequently, labeled under the wider California designation. In quality years, wines from specific regions or vineyards may warrant more focus, and the winery will bottle those separately. That’s the case with Joel Gott's Sonoma County bottling (bottled under the winery's Gott label), below, which offers boysenberry and plum flavors with a generous, polished finish.
This lineup includes Buehler's Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021, a toasty red with blackbery and violet notes. Read on to get our score and full tasting note for this relative California Cabernet value wine and six others!
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