Favorite Cabernet Producers Under $75

[mowen]

Burgess Cab - classic style, howell mountain fruit, retails $40 and up, but can be found for less

[JohnP]

Spring Mountain

Agree, current and back-vintage Spring Mountain

[mattccheung]

Myriad, Becklyn, Vice Versa Le Petit, Chappellet Signature, Lewelling, Robert Craig Affinity, Pine Ridge, Drinkward, Joseph Phelps

[Alex_G]

I wasn’t clear if the OP was restricting to USA or pure Cab. My CA favorites in this range are Ridge and Dehlinger, but if open to France and Cab blends, I would strongly recommend tasting some Bordeaux. There is a bunch of good value between $15 and $75 if you like the style (and recent weather and winemaking have provided more of a continuum toward US style).

I was thinking new world with the thread, but you have me curious. What Bordeaux producers in this price range would you recommend that have a similar profile to some of these recommendations like Ridge, Dehlinger, Rafanelli, etc.

Thank you.

[bob_poirier]

Burgess Cab - classic style, howell mountain fruit, retails $40 and up, but can be found for less

This, Amazing structure for a $40 cab

[JeremyMullman]

As others have suggested, Smith-Madrone and Rivers-Marie Napa are fantastic.

I’d add Sojourn’s Oakville and Home Ranch and also Jean Edwards Stagecoach, which is right around $75.

[Justin_S1]

Another vote for Domain Eden (<$50) and Mount Eden (around $75).

[Craig_G]

I wasn’t clear if the OP was restricting to USA or pure Cab. My CA favorites in this range are Ridge and Dehlinger, but if open to France and Cab blends, I would strongly recommend tasting some Bordeaux. There is a bunch of good value between $15 and $75 if you like the style (and recent weather and winemaking have provided more of a continuum toward US style).

I was thinking new world with the thread, but you have me curious. What Bordeaux producers in this price range would you recommend that have a similar profile to some of these recommendations like Ridge, Dehlinger, Rafanelli, etc.

Thank you.

I’m not sure I can exactly answer that because I don’t seek out Bordeaux that is more like CA wine. Some that I’ve recently liked in this price range are Reserve de la Comtesse, Gloria, Cantemerle, Chasse-Spleen, Meyney, and Le Pape. These will have various blends of Cab. Sauvignon, Cab. Franc, Merlot and possibly some others.

Just for example, I did a horizontal tasting of six 2016 Bordeaux in the $30-60 range and Chasse-Spleen was the one I ended up liking the best. It’s about $30-35. I can’t find any CA Cab-based wine of that quality for that price, and I believe the wine will age very well too. In the past few years I’ve had excellent bottles of Chasse-Spleen 1983 and 1985.

With respect to style, if you want something more toward CA you might want to choose vintages like 2015 and 2018. 2016 would also be powerful but more structured. 2017 and 2014 maybe a little more “French.” But all of these are good vintages.

[Dan_Hammer]

Sojourn Home Ranch drinks well above it’s cost.

Edited to add EMH Black Cat.

[Mike_Van1]

Not mentioned so far, Honig and Adaptation are two $40-50ish Cabs my wife and I enjoy in addition to many of the ones already mentioned.

[Vince_T]

I wasn’t clear if the OP was restricting to USA or pure Cab. My CA favorites in this range are Ridge and Dehlinger, but if open to France and Cab blends, I would strongly recommend tasting some Bordeaux. There is a bunch of good value between $15 and $75 if you like the style (and recent weather and winemaking have provided more of a continuum toward US style).

I was thinking new world with the thread, but you have me curious. What Bordeaux producers in this price range would you recommend that have a similar profile to some of these recommendations like Ridge, Dehlinger, Rafanelli, etc.

Thank you.

I’m not sure I can exactly answer that because I don’t seek out Bordeaux that is more like CA wine. Some that I’ve recently liked in this price range are Reserve de la Comtesse, Gloria, Cantemerle, Chasse-Spleen, Meyney, and Le Pape. These will have various blends of Cab. Sauvignon, Cab. Franc, Merlot and possibly some others.

Just for example, I did a horizontal tasting of six 2016 Bordeaux in the $30-60 range and Chasse-Spleen was the one I ended up liking the best. It’s about $30-35. I can’t find any CA Cab-based wine of that quality for that price, and I believe the wine will age very well too. In the past few years I’ve had excellent bottles of Chasse-Spleen 1983 and 1985.

With respect to style, if you want something more toward CA you might want to choose vintages like 2015 and 2018. 2016 would also be powerful but more structured. 2017 and 2014 maybe a little more “French.” But all of these are good vintages.

I love Gloria and Cantemerle, but don’t think of them as particularly friendly to a Napa palate - especially young. Even the '09 Gloria is a bit on the austere side. I think there’s lots of excellent lower end Bordeaux from 2015 and 2016 <$50 that have few QPR peers in CA, maybe with the exception of Bedrock and a couple others already mentioned. I definitely agree on Meyney, and others include Ormes de Pez and Capbern, both of which are in the $30 range.

[Craig_G]

I didn’t realize Bedrock made the CS. I’ll have to try that.

[Brandon_R]

These are great replies, but there has only been one mention of Washington State Cab. Here’s my short list:

Woodward Canyon Artist Series Cab ($59 current vintage)
L’Ecole No. 41 Perigee / Apogee / Ferguson - all Bordeaux-style blends with lots of Cabernet. ($64 current vintage)
Cadence Camerata (80% Cab Sauv)
Andrew Will has several single-vineyard blends that are great

[Leonard_Maran]

2014 Ramey Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at K&L is excellent. It’s $52.99.

[Dan_Fusco]

Di Costanzo’s DI CO ($55).

+1. Popped my first 2017 DI CO last night and I was not disappointed. Definitely lived up to the hype.

[K_Tran1]

Napa under $75 that I like year after year

Chappellet Signature
Joseph Phelps
Amici
Dominus Napanook

Actually all of them could be had for under $60, and Amici is under $40.

If expanding to Bdx,
Malescot St Exupery, under $60 every year from Costco
DDC, under $70 with coupon from TW year after year.

[Josh_Grossman]

You can often find Cimarossa under that:
https://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1474426&cid=TPV-Winesearcher
https://www.totalwine.com/wine/red-wine/cabernet-sauvignon/cimarossa-cabernet-rive-howell-mountain/p/114178750?s=1108&igrules=true
http://www.artisanwinedepotlg.com/Cimarossa_Rive_di_Cimarossa_Howell_Mountain_Cabe_p/cimarossacabrive09-w.htm

My other go-to is Kenefick Ranch:
https://remedyliquor.com/wine/kenefick-ranch-cabernet-sauvignon-chris-s-cuvee-calistoga-napa-2013.html

[Scott_Jameson]

It’s been mentioned at least once in this thread, but Neal Family is a great producer and their Napa Valley Cab is under $50. Definitely not a “modern, over-extracted” wine, its structure and tannins can show when young, but nothing that a few hours in the decanter won’t cure. I’ve been drinking the last of my 2001s and 2002s and really regretting not holding more bottles back as they are drinking so well now.

[Ron_Slye]

My newest discovery in this category is JB Neufeld. Their basic Yakima bottling is an amazing value at about 30 per bottle. Their reserve is I think around 45. All of them and their two blondes vineyard bottling punch way above their weight.

[Hughes_D]

Where did you find Congruence for under $30, if I am reading your post correctly. Thanks.

I wouldn’t put Bedrock or Rivers Marie in this competition. I love Bedrock for blends, Zins and Syrah, not so much for cab. Rivers Marie just doesn’t fit my interests in cab.
Of the ones I have had lately, easily Liparita, Alexander Valley Vineyards and Congruence. With the exception of Alexander Valley which is easily found, the others were procured on Winebid or blowout pricing under $30. I find no reason to go over $45 in this category any more. There a deals to be had and deals to come in the world of wine.