California and Washington state square off in a Cabernet Sauvignon showdown this week. Napa Valley is among the United States' preeminent regions for Cabernet, crushing around 90,000 tons of Cabernet grapes, annually. But Washington is also near the top, at more than 65,000 tons. In general, you’ll find Washington has a slight edge when it comes to price tags, but in this lineup, both regions offer an array of wines at $50 or less.
Atop the list is one of Napa’s oldest wineries, Charles Krug. The winery was founded in 1861, and the Mondavi family has owned and operated it since 1943. With five estates in Napa Valley, the winery team has the resources to craft a ready-to-drink style of Cabernet, one with sagebrush and sweet bay notes to its steeped black currant and plum puree flavors.
Meanwhile, Two Squared is a relatively new brand from the Alpha Omega Collective. Its team blends grapes from multiple vineyards to make a juicy, Cabernet-dominant blend, included below, which has plum and boysenberry compote notes and a friendly finish.
This lineup also includes Beaulieu Vineyards' Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021, a polished red with dark fruit and licorice notes. Read on to get our score and full tasting note for this West Coast Cabernet Sauvignon value and seven others.
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