(4) Wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: soft
• Look for at: wine.com

This rosé from Valencia came home with me for two reasons. First, the wine is made from Bobal, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon, and Bobal is yet another grape in my quest for membership in De Long’s Wine Century Club. Second, the wine was recommended by my good friend Michael (not the Michael of this website) at Central Market. I can now add a third reason, it is a good rosé. With a pleasant nose of watermelon and plums and a mouth full of light red fruit and watermelon, this is a summer wine. It paired well with grilled quail. ($11)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: smooth
• Look for at: wine.com

I found this California blend of Syrah, Merlot, Petite Syrah, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon at the HEB grocery store tonight for $8. I was super-excited to find such a great wine for the money until my girlfriend reminded me that it normally costs around $14. Oh well. The Joe Blow 2005 Red has a bit of pepper (from the Syrah), blackberry, tobacco, and chocolate on the nose, and rich fruit (from the Zin) in the mouth. With a medium-full body, mild tannins, and a touch of acid, this is a versatile house wine. The Joe Blow 2005 California White wine is very nice as well. ($12-14)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: bold
• Look for at: wine.com

Made from approximately 90% Cabernet and 10% Carmenère, this red from Chile is a full bodied wine, and with 14.5% alcohol, this wine is not for the faint of heart. The nose shows smoke, tobacco, aged fruit, and damp earth nestled in plenty of tannin. For the money, this is a good Wednesday night Cabernet. ($10)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: smooth
• Look for at: wine.com

I picked this wine up today from the store because I saw it was rated 90 points by Mr. Robert Parker, and why would anyone pass up a 90-pt Parker $10 wine — whether you like his taste or not. And I have to say, I liked this wine very much. The South Eastern Australian 2006 Roogle Red is 50% Shiraz, 30% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and it is aged in seasoned French and American oak for 12 months. Roogle Red is medium-full bodied, with dark but not super-ripe fruit, and healthy tannins and acid. This wine is from R Wines (of Dan Philips and Chris Ringland), which includes labels such as 3 Rings, Roogle, Evil, and Bitch. Buy this wine if you see it, or maybe pick up a half-case. ($9-10)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: smooth
• Look for at: wine.com

Pascual Toso is becoming one of my go-to wineries from Argentina. The Pascual Toso 2006 Malbec we reviewed earlier is truly one of the wine bargains of the summer. This reserve Cabernet is also a bottle worth hunting down. The wine is a dark cherry color with a nose full of cherry, plum, and cassis, with a little coffee and mint thrown in for good measure. In the mouth, this is a medium bodied wine with plenty of fine grain tannins. The red fruit and sweet oak ride for a long finish. ($13-15)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: smooth
• Look for at: wine.com

Sideways did a lot to discourage Merlot sales, but this 2005 from Medoc might help folks get over their Merlot anxiety. Made from 50% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Cabernet Franc, this wine offers a nose of spiced cherries and cassis. In the glass, the dark red fruit is supported by an ample structure of fine grained tannin. Drink this wine tonight or hold it for a year or two to see what the 2005 vintage was all about. This wine is an inexpensive way to try a great vintage. ($17-22)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: soft
• Look for at: wine.com

This big rosé from the Carinena region of Spain is no wimp. Composed of 50% Cabernet and 50% Tempranillo, this rosé has muscle. The must was allowed 12 hours of contact time with the skin before it was drawn off, giving the wine a deep strawberry color. The nose shows rich strawberries with floral overtones. In the mouth, the wine is full, with plenty of structure and a long finish. Parker gave this wine a 90, which I think is a bit high, but this is a great value nonetheless. I would pair this Rosé with pork or even a grilled hamburger. ($7.5-10)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: smooth
• Look for at: wine.com

This Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon is 89% Cab and 11% Merlot. Aged in French rather than American oak, this wine makes a nice choice for a cheap California Cabernet if you’re not that into oak. On the nose, there is plum and red fruit, mostly cherries, which follows through to the mouth. Pleasantly tannic with a bit of acid, this wine can be enjoyed alone or with a hearty dish. ($10)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: smooth
• Look for at: wine.com

Okay… sometimes I really only want to spend $6 on wine, and for that, I have a couple of “go-to”s. One of these is the non-vintage Cabernet Sauvignon from Barefoot. In a nutshell, it is drinkable for the price and goes down without my making a face. Just be fine with the fact that it’s totally uninteresting. And it’s better than Yellow Tail, for sure. ($6-8)

• Our rating:
• Wine 101 style: bold
• Look for at: wine.com

This Cabernet Sauvignon has a touch of added Merlot and is made from all Napa Valley grapes. It was voted the best Cabernet Sauvignon under $20 by Food & Wine Magazine, October 2007. Aged for 16 months in American and French oak barrels (30% new), it definitely was not over-the-top oak. It smells of pepper and ripe, dark fruit. The wine tastes of fruit less ripe and dark than it smells, and the pepper carries through to the mouth. Mild but pleasing tannins, with a finish not to scoff at, this is probably better as a C&C wine than a food wine. ($17-20)