How to understand Bordeaux wines - part 10 - final summary

Today is the last day of February and the last day of "Bordeaux month."  Using a very broad brush, there are three major areas to search for high-QPR Bordeaux wines:  the Left Bank, the Right Bank, and the region containing Graves and Pessac-Leognan.

Understanding Bordeaux wines is difficult because, within each of the three major areas, there are numerous sub-regions that appear on wine labels.  There are the most famous appellations like Pomerol and St. Emilion on the Right Bank, and Margaux, St. Estephe, Pauillac, and St. Julien on the Left Bank.

During the month of February, we've taken a tour of the Bordeaux region and visited many of the famous and the lesser-known appellations.  In each area, we've identified several typical wines that are priced under $40 a bottle.  Sometimes, you can find the more expensive wines on sale under $25 (our normal price limit in this blog).

What are the lessons learned from our focus on Bordeaux this month?  Here are a couple:

1.  The wine from each region has its own style and typical characteristics.  Within each region of Bordeaux, there are numerous micro-climates that affect how wines develop.

2.  Vintages are very important.  A wise strategy, to obtain the best value-priced Bordeaux wines for your dollar, is to concentrate on the exceptional vintages like 2005, 2000, 1995, 1990, 1982, etc.  There is speculation that 2009 will be another excellent vintage.  The initial results from barrel-tasting the 2009 wines will be available in a couple months.

3.  The French contend that "terroir" is the single most important factor that produces a good wine.  The term, terroir, includes the type of soil, the location (elevation, hillside vs. next to river, etc.), the type and ages of the vines, the micro-climate, and other factors.

4.  The skill of the winemaker and the methods used at each stage of the wine-making process can also have a profound effect on the taste and quality of the wine that is produced -- from the initial pruning of the vines and reduction of leaves through the growing season, to the final selection and blending of different vats of wine from different vineyards to produce the final wine in barrels.

5.  Many Bordeaux wines need time in the cellar before you can drink and enjoy them.  For persons who buy the most expensive and longest-lasting wines from Margaux, Pomerol, etc., should plan on 10-15 years in the cellar and the wines will last for 30-40 years or more.  For wines costing under $25, you can usually drink them soon after bottling, if you decant them and let them breath for a couple hours before serving.

6.  To obtain the best wine for your dollar, searching for heavily-discounted wines on sale can be very effective.  For example, if you like wines from the Margaux region, would you rather purchase a "full-price" wine for $20 -- or a $40 bottle of wine that is on sale for $20?  Of course, you need to taste a wide range of wines and determine which wines you like best because personal taste is most important.  Most times, however, your preferred wine at the $40 price point will be clearly superior to any of your favorite wines at the $20 price point.  Even if you like the $20 wine best, you can buy many more bottles for the same dollars if you can find your preferred wine on sale.

In summary, I find Bordeaux to be a fascinating wine region.  Although it takes some time to get familiar with the different sub-regions, Bordeaux offers vast potential for enjoying excellent wine over many years.

How to understand Bordeaux wines - part 9 - summary of St. Julien, Pauillac, St. Estephe, and Haut-Medoc

Here is a quick summary of the wines that were discussed for St. Julien, Pauillac, St. Estephe, and the Haut-Medoc:

$43 - La Tour Carnet (91 points from Robert Parker)

$40 - La Dame de Montrose (88 points from Robert Parker)

$39 - Reserve de la Contesse Lalande

$36 - Chateau Hortevie (88 points from Robert Parker)

$35 - Chasse-Spleen (88 points from Robert Parker)

$32 - Chateau Coufran

$32 - Belgrave (89 points from Robert Parker)

$31 - Lalande-Borie (90 points from Robert Parker)

$31 - Reignac (90 points from Robert Parker)

$31 - Meyney (86 points from Robert Parker)

$30 - Marquis de Calon

$30 - Clarke (90 points from Robert Parker)

$28 - Du Glana

$28 - Charmail (90 points from Robert Parker)

$27 - Clement-Pichon

$27 - Lanessan (90 points from Robert Parker)

$27 - Conseiller (91 points from Robert Parker)

$27 - Les Grands Chenes (91 points from Robert Parker)

$26 - Rollan de By (90 points from Robert Parker)

$22 - d'Escurac (89 points from Robert Parker)

$19 - Beaulieu Comtes de Tastes (89 points from Robert Parker)

$19 - Beaumont

$18 - Verdigan

$17 - Sorbey

$17 - Caronne St. Gemme

$17 - La Tour St. Bonnet (88 points from Robert Parker)

$16 - Bernadotte

$13 - Haut-Nadeau

$12 - Haut-Belian "Prestige"

For wines with a list price under $25, the best are La Tour St. Bonnet, Beaulieu Comtes de Tastes, and d'Escurac (from a Robert Parker points perspective).  I purchased Beaulieu Comtes de Tastes on sale for $16 from J.J. Buckley, and it was definitely a high-QPR wine IMO.

Of the two lowest-priced wines, Haut-Nadeau has more body and somewhat more structure and tannins, but I think the Haut-Belian "Prestige," with good fruit and toasty oak flavors, is also a very good everyday table wine.  K&L Wines has noted that Haut-Nadeau was their #1 seller among all 2005 Bordeaux wines (and they are a premier wine shop for Bordeaux).  Last year, K&L also offered the Haut-Belian "Prestige" for $9.49 a bottle for their wine club members -- which represented incredible value for that price IMO.

How to understand Bordeaux wines - part 7 - summary of Margaux and the southern Medoc

As mentioned earlier, the Margaux appellation contains some of the best and most expensive wines in Bordeaux.  Typical characteristics of Margaux wines include well-structured, soft, silky, elegant, long-lasting, and exceptional aromas and taste.  Some of the best values come from estates that are just outside the official boundary of the Margaux appellation (see previous discussion of the Biturica Group).  Many of the wines from the petit chateaux retain the characteristics of Margaux wines without the exorbitant price tag.  The following wines have been discussed for this region:

$41 - Chateau du Tertre, Margaux (received 90 points from Robert Parker)

$39 - Chateau Cantemerle (received 90 points from Robert Parker)

$35 - Marquis de Terme, Margaux (received 88 points from Robert Parker)

$34 - Chateay Poujeaux (received 93 points from Robert Parker)

$33 - Chateau Potensac (received 90 points from Robert Parker)

$32 - Chateau Siran, Margaux (received 89 points from Robert Parker)

$31 - Chateau Senejac (received 88 points from Robert Parker)

$31 - Cambon la Pelouse (received 89 points from Robert Parker)

$30 - Chateau Belle-Vue (received 88 points from Robert Parker)

$30 - Chateau Mille Roses (received 87 points from Robert Parker)

$28 - Chateau Paloumey (received 87 points from Robert Parker)

$24 - Chateau Bolaire (received 88 points from Robert Parker)

From a Robert Parker points perspective, the best values appear to be Chateau Siran (Margaux) for $32 and Chateau Bolaire for $24.  Note that only the last wine, Chateau Bolaire, was under our normal $25 price limit.  However, I have found many of the above wines on sale with good discounts.

For example, I have purchased Mille Roses for $15 from K&L Wines, Belle-Vue for $13 from Bottle Barn, and Cambon la Pelouse for $18 from J.J. Buckley.  I consider all three of these purchases to be very high quality-to-price ratios for excellent wines.

From my own perspective, Margaux-type wines are my personal favorites of all Bordeaux wines.  If you're interested in value-priced wines that will age well, consider Senejac or Belle-Vue -- these wines have fairly high tannin levels and still need a couple years in the cellar (unless you're willing to decant and wait for a few hours before serving).  For wines that you can purchase on sale under $20, my personal favorites are Cambon la Pelouse and Mille Roses -- wonderful taste, aromas, texture, complexity, and silky elegance IMO.

How to understand Bordeaux wines - part 5 - summary of the Right Bank

To summarize all of the posts about wines produced on the Right Bank, we'll start with the Cotes de Castillon because that was the appellation for 11 of the wines:

$41 - Clos Les Lunelles (94 points from Robert Parker)

$38 - d'Aiguilhe (92 points from Robert Parker)

$38 - Clos l'Eglise (89-90 points from Robert Parker)

$35 - Domaine de l'A (91 points from Robert Parker)

$32 - Clos Puy Arnaud (88 points from Robert Parker)

$30 - Joanin Becot (90 points from Robert Parker)

$23 - d'Aiguilhe Querre (91 points from Robert Parker)

$22 - Puy Arnaud Maureze

$21 - Ampelia (88 points from Robert Parker)

$20 - Brisson (87-89 points from Robert Parker)

$13 - Sainte Colombe (88 points from Robert Parker)

Of these 11 wines, Sainte Colombe is obviously the best value by far from a "Robert Parker" perspective.

Here is a summary of the wines for the other appellations on the Right Bank:

$39 - Grand Pontet, St. Emilion (93 points from Robert Parker)

$38 - La Vieille Cure, Fronsac (93 points from Robert Parker)

$38 - Chateau de Sales, Pomerol

$37 - Chateau Pipeau, St. Emilion (90 points from Robert Parker)

$37 - La Fleur de Bouard, Lalande-de-Pomerol, (89 points from Robert Parker)

$31 - Epicurea de Chateau Martinat (90 points from Robert Parker)

$30 - La Dauphine, Fronsac (90 points from Robert Parker)

$28 - Puygueraud, Cotes de Francs (89 points from Robert Parker)

$27 - Benjamin de Sansonnet (second wine of Sansonnet)

$23 - Les Trois Croix, Fronsac (87 points from Robert Parker)

$20 - Gigault "Cuvee Viva"

Remember that the QPR value of a wine depends on both the overall quality of the wine and the price you can purchase it.  Although sales are not frequent, I've purchased the Clos l'Eglise (Cotes de Castillon) for $19.99 on an inventory clearance sale at K&L Wines (list price $38), and the Puy Arnaud Maureze on sale at Bottle Barn for $9.99 (list price $22).

However, probably the best overall QPR value among Right Bank wines is the 2005 Sainte Colombe for $12.99 with a Parker rating of 88 points.  It's a good, solid Merlot-based wine.  Again, everything depends on your own taste and your own evaluation of a particular wine.

It should also be noted that there are hundreds of petit chateaux on the Right Bank that produced very good wines in the 2005 vintage.  Only 22 Right Bank wines were discussed above in an attempt to provide a representative sample of wines with a list price under $40.

How to understand Bordeaux wines - part 3 - summary of Graves and Pessac-Leognan

The following wines from the Graves and Pessac-Leognan appellations have been described in previous posts (listed from most expensive to least expensive):

$39 - Chateau Haut-Bergey (92 points from Robert Parker)

$39 - Chateau Carbonnieux (91 points from Robert Parker)

$36 - Mejean Rouge (91 points from Robert Parker)

$35 - Chateau Larrivet-Haut-Brion (90 points from Robert Parker)

$30 - Chateau de Fieuzal (90 points from Robert Parker)

$29 - Cantelys Rouge

$28 - Chateau Luchey-Halde (92 points from Robert Parker)

$27 - Clos Marsalette (91 points from Robert Parker)

$25 - Chateau Rouillac (89 points from Robert Parker)

$22 - Chateau des Fougeres "La Folie" (90 points from Robert Parker)

$20 - Clos Floridene Rouge

$20 - Chateau Leonie

$20 - Chateau de Chantegrieve

$19 - Chateau Haut Vigneau

$19 - Chateau Bois Martin

$18 - Chateau de Rochemorin (89 points from Robert Parker)

$18 - l'Avocat Rouge

I think all of these wines provide good quality-to-price ratios.  From a Robert Parker perspective, the best values appear to be the Chateau de Rochemorin and Chateau Des Fougeres "La Folie" for under $25 -- and the Chateau Luchey-Halde, and the Clos Marsalette for over $25.  But be on the lookout for sales and discounts.  I found the Chateau Bois Martin on sale for $15 and have been enjoying it for the past year or so.

High-QPR Chardonnays

The following Chardonnays have been reviewed in this blog so far (from least expensive to most expensive):

2008 Bogle Chardonnay ($10)

2008 Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay ($12)

2008 Clos du Bois Chardonnay ($13)

2008 Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay ($14)

2007 Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay, "Robert Young Vineyard" ($25)

2007 Beringer "Private Reserve" Napa Valley Chardonnay ($32)

Note that the above prices are list prices.  All of these wines can usually be found on sale or for discounted prices at a variety of locations.  The best value that I have seen, from a purely economic or QPR perspective, was when K&L Wines had the Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay on sale for $6.99 to clear inventory.

The Beringer "Private Reserve" and the Chateau St. Jean "Robert Young Vineyard" Chardonnays are excellent wines of the highest quality with good QPR value (and represent high-QPR wines if you can get either wine at a 20% discount).

High-QPR Sauvignon Blancs

Sauvignon Blanc has been my favorite white wine for a few years.  As noted in prior posts, there are many alternatives for high-QPR Sauvignon Blancs.  Most are medium-bodied and on the dry side, but each wine may be lighter or heavier in body and sweeter or drier in taste.  So far, 10 Sauvignon Blancs have been discussed in this blog.  Wines under $13 include:

2009 Mendoza Station Sauvignon Blanc ($6.99 from Total Wine)

2008 Bogle Sauvignon Blanc ($10)

2008 Chateau St. Jean Fume Blanc ($12.99 list price, usually can be found for under $10 -- Bottle Barn currently has it for $9.99 a bottle)

2008 Kirkham Peak Sauvignon Blanc, Marlboro ($11.99 list price -- the K&L wine club price is $8.99)

2007 Domaine Chatelain Pouilly Fume (list price $22 -- K&L has it for $9.99 while supplies last)

IMO any of the above wines represent excellent quality for the (discounted) price.  See previous posts for specific comments on individual wines.  For wines between $13 and $20, the following wines have been discussed:

2008 Angeline Sauvignon Blanc (list price $14, usually $11-12 with discount)

2008 Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Marlboro ($13.99 at K&L)

2008 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, Marlboro ($14.99 at K&L)

2008 Clos du Bois Sauvignon Blanc ($14 list price, usually $11-12 with discount -- Bottle Barn currently has it for $9.99)

2008 Mill Creek Sauvignon Blanc ($19 list price, usually $15 with discount)

I think all of these wines offer very high quality-to-price ratios (with the discounted price).  My personal favorite is the 2008 Angeline Sauvignon Blanc.  But everyone's taste is unique -- I recommend that you try as many as you can find (at discounted prices) and develop your own QPR rankings.

For example, note that I could have picked up the 2008 Clos du Bois and the 2008 Chateau St. Jean for $9.99 during my trip to Bottle Barn today.  Combining those wines with the 2008 Angeline that I purchased for $11.20, the 2008 Kirkham Peak for $8.99 (I'm a K&L wine club member), the 2007 Domaine Chatelain for $9.99, and the 2009 Mendoza Station for $6.99 -- that gives me six solid Sauvignon Blancs to choose from.

The average price for the six wines is $9.53 a bottle.  Some of the wines might be suitable for weekday table wines (like the 2009 Mendoza Station and the 2008 Kirkham Peak).  You might find that you like the other wines better for pairing with fish, shrimp, crab, scallops, salmon, pasta, etc.  Purchasing two bottles each of the six wines would cost $114.40 -- not a large investment IMO for 12 bottles of good wine -- and you would have a selection of solid Sauvignon Blancs for a variety of meals.

Robert Parker on "Wine Bargains"

America's foremost authority on wines offers the following on wine bargains:  "One of the most gratifying aspects of being a wine critic is discovering those under-the-radar, superb wine bargains that taste as if they should cost two or three times the price but don't. ...  The myth is that wines that cost $25 or less are worth just what you pay for them and are never terribly interesting.  This is totally untrue, and with work, one can unearth these small treasures that deliver seriously good wine at remarkably fair prices." [Robert Parker, "Parker's Wine Bargains: The World's Best Wine Values under $25"]

I obviously agree with the points made by Parker, and I strongly recommend his book (list price $17.99, published in 2009).  He provides a price range (under $15, $16-20, and $21-25) and a two-sentence description of the general characteristics of each wine, but he does not offer point values for specific wines and vintages in this book.

He includes over 2,500 wines under $25 from all regions of the world:  Argentina, Australia, Austria, Chile, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and the United States.  Of the 497 page book, 178 pages are devoted to French wines, 58 pages to Italian wines, and 40 pages to U.S. wines.

Although most wines listed in Parker's book are still under $25, the prices of some wines have risen, and it may be difficult to find selected wines still selling for under $25.  And the prices can vary widely according to vintage.  For example, one of the best value-priced Bordeaux wines is from Chateau d'Aiguilhe (Cotes de Castillon).  The 2006 and 2007 vintages were both priced $24.99 at K&L, while the superb 2005 vintage was $37.99 for a bottle of d'Aiguilhe.

For a much more detailed review of wines globally, see "Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide" (7th edition, 2008) which includes point values for specific vintages of thousands of wines.  For an in-depth overview of the world of wine with discussion of countries producing value-priced wines, see "The Wine Bible" by Karen MacNeil (2001).

How to Search for High-QPR Wines

"One of the most gratifying aspects of being a wine critic is discovering those under-the-radar, superb wine bargains ...  The myth is that wines that cost $25 or less are worth just what you pay for them and are never terribly interesting.  This is totally untrue, and with work, one can unearth these small treasures that deliver seriously good wine at remarkably fair prices."  [Robert Parker, "Parker's Wine Bargains"]

As mentioned in the first post, it appears that a sea change has occurred in the wine industry.  As a result of the economic recession and other factors, high-end wines are on the wane.  Many persons are searching for value-priced wines that taste good and where quality is high.  If you can find wines that you think are excellent and that are priced reasonably, so much the better.

In general, the prices of wines reflect their overall quality and how well they represent varietal characteristics.  For many expensive wines, both the quality and price are high.  Similarly, the taste and quality of most cheap wines is usually average or poor.

While high-QPR wines tend to be rare, especially wines under $25, it is possible to discover those outstanding wine bargains that taste as if they should cost two or three times their price.  Here are seven strategies to find value-priced, high-QPR wines:

1.  Low-end wineries - Some wineries focus on value-priced wines.  In many cases, the wines are good or very good.  For California wineries, check out Angeline, Avalon, Bogle, and Clos du Bois, among many others.  For wines that look interesting from these wineries (and for all potential high-QPR candidates), you need to buy a bottle and do your own tasting.  Every person's taste is unique, and you need to do your own due diligence to find the lower-priced wines that you find very good or excellent.  Many wineries offer 10-20% discounts on case purchases.

2.  Discounts or special offers from wine shops - Some wine shops offer case discounts; some don't (they feel their offered prices are already discounted).  Most wine shops purchase large lots of selected wines and offer big discounts on these wines.  I've mentioned K&L Wines several times.  K&L has stores in San Francisco, Redwood City, and Hollywood.  In addition, K&L is perhaps the premier on-line wine store.  If you don't live in San Francisco or Los Angeles, check them out on the Internet.  If you sign-up and establish an account (no purchase necessary), you receive their emails automatically.  Occasionally, they offer what I think are incredible deals.  In response to their email on January 8, 2010 offering 2006 Havens Napa Valley Merlot for $6.99 a bottle, they were overwhelmed with orders and sold more than 3,000 bottles in one day.  Many of the best offers sell out fast, however, so you have to check out the wines and make decisions quickly.

3.  Discounts at retailers - Most Costco, BevMo, Total Wine, and Trader's Joe stores offer large selections of wines at good prices.  Even Safeway and other food stores may have large wine departments (Safeway offers an extra 10% discount if you purchase six bottles).  The big problem is determining which wines are the best high-QPR wines, among the 100's of different wines that are for sale.  One problem is that, many times, the wine has a "list price" and a "sale price" listed on the shelf.  Beware of accepting the store's version of the list price.  I have frequently come across wines where the list price is inflated 20-30% or more above what I know I can purchase the wine for at an alternative source.

4.  Special situations - Many special situations arise that you can take advantage of to purchase high-QPR wines at substantial discounts.  For example, every year around November, Kenwood Winery (Sonoma, California) has a half-price sale.  You can purchase a case of good Zinfandel, Merlot or other wines for less than $100 (less than $9 a bottle).  Many wineries have "end-of-season" wine sales to clear out their inventory of last year's wines to make room for the new vintage.  If you find wines you like that are very good (or excellent) but are priced somewhat above what you want to pay, contact the winery and ask if they have any special sales coming up or if they have an "end-of-season" sale.

5.  Get to know the strengths of your local wine shop - My local wine shop is Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa, California (bottlebarn.com).  They have a great selection of California wines, and they specialize in wines produced by Sonoma County wineries.  Every October, they offer 20% to 30% discounts on 20 or so of the "gold-medal winners" from Sonoma County's Harvest Fair's expert wine judging.  Bottle Barn also has special arrangements with many of the Sonoma County wineries that gives them access to many limited-production wines.  It definitely pays to get to know the strengths of your local wine shop, especially their pattern of special sales.

6.  Take advantage of exceptional vintages - Many wine critics like Robert Parker assess the overall quality of every vintage for every location and style of wine.  For example, for Bordeaux in France, Parker lists all of the major appellations (Margaux, St. Julien, St. Emilion, Haut-Medoc, Pessac-Leognan, etc.), and his assessment of each year for each appellation.  During the past 30 years, the high-point vintages were 1982, 1986, 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005.  The major advantage of focusing on the high-point vintages is that quality tends to be higher among all wineries from top to bottom.  Thus, it's possible to identify high-QPR wines that are reasonably-priced in the best vintages.  For 2005 Bordeaux, K&L offered a couple hundred different wines ranging in price from $10 to more than $500.  I tasted a number of wines in the $10 to $12 price range and did not find any high-QPR wines IMO.  However, when I increased the price range to $13-20, I did find several wines that I considered to be very high-QPR wines.  The best deal IMO was when the 2005 Mille Roses was offered for $14.99 a bottle (normal price $28-$33).  For Rhone Valley wines, 2007 was an exceptional vintage.  As discussed in other posts, I've loaded up my wine locker with several 2007 Cotes-du-Rhones that range in price from $6 to $17.  The 2007 vintage was also an especially good year for many California red wines.

7.  Research, investigate, study, taste many wines, and make some wise decisions - I enjoy reading about wine.  If I could recommend two books, they would be "Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide" by Robert M. Parker, and "The Wine Bible" by Karen MacNeil.  If you have a limited wine budget, I think it pays to invest some time and effort so that you can make wise decisions and stretch your dollars as far as possible.  You can shorten the process and obtain ideas and summarized information from various blogs like "Good Wine under $20," among many others.  Also see "Parker's Wine Bargains:  The World's Best Wine Values under $25" (Robert Parker, 2009).  But you can't rely on assessments or ratings made by other people -- the quality of a wine and how much it is worth to you depends primarily on your own personal taste.

Summary - It takes time and effort to identify wines you really like that are priced at a level where you believe they are solid, high-QPR wines.  But I think it's definitely worth the effort -- you can easily double the number of bottles you purchase (with little or no degradation in taste or quality) for the same, fixed wine budget.

High-QPR Cabernet Sauvignons

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the prime grapes in France, California, other parts of the U.S., and other countries like Chile and Australia.  Unfortunately, the price tag for good Cabernets is usually high.  Here are seven Cabernets with high quality-to-price ratios IMO:

2007 Louis Martini Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon ($11.99) - Robert Parker gives this wine 90 points:  "An exquisite value, this is a seductive, fleshy, fruity with excellent texture, body and balance.  Lots of cassis as well as silky tannins characterize this top bargain pick!  Drink it over the next 5-7 years."

2007 Columbia Crest "H3" Horse Heaven Hills Washington Cabernet Sauvignon ($10.99) - Wine Spectator gives it 90 points:  "Polished and silky in texture, with ripe blackberry, currant and mint flavors that keep sailing through the long, expressive finish.  The tannins are beautifully integrated."  The "H3"is a fruit-forward and approachable style of Cabernet.

2007 Avalon Napa Cabernet Sauvignon ($11.99) - From K&L, "This wine exhibits aromas of raspberry, blackberry, mint and black cherries.  Vanilla and short bread cookie notes from oak aging bring balance and frame the ripe berry flavors.  The tannins are fine and chalky, and there is also a mineral/earthy note that contributes to the multi-layer characteristics.  A classic Napa Cab and at a ridiculously fair price!"

2007 Dominio del Plata "Crios de Susana Balbo" Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza, Argentina ($12.99) - From Wine Spectator, "Ripe and polished, with good cherry and currant fruit backed by sweet spice and toast notes."  From Robert Parker, "The Cabernet Sauvignon reveals an expressive perfume of cedar, spice box, black currant, and black raspberry.  This is followed by a wine with lots of savory black fruit, excellent balance, and a long, fruit-filled finish."

2007 Odjfell Armador Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley, Chile ($11.99) - Wine Enthusiast gives this Chilean wine 90 points:  "A top-notch value Cabernet with no flaws.  The fruit on the nose is pretty and stylish but doesn'r force the issue, while the palate is juicy and fresh with flavors of cola, cassis, and wild berry.  Not a complicated wine, but one that pushes all the right buttons.  Ripe and friendly to the last drop."

2006 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon, Founders Estate ($11-12) - From Robert Parker:  "Cabernet Sauvignon is one of Beringer's strengths; this is medium to full-bodied, with a seductive, round, silky texture."

2007 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon, California ($12-14) - From Robert Parker:  "Chateau St. Jean is an excellent source for value-priced, high-quality wines.  They are often considered primarily a white wine-producing estate because of the brilliant quality of their Fume Blancs and Chardonnays, but they also fashion very fine Cabernet Sauvignons as well as an excellent Bordeaux blend called Cinq Cepages."

Try all seven wines.  For $11-12 a bottle (or less if you can find them on sale),  you can't really go wrong.  See if you like one or more of these wines and if it rates a high QPR in your opinion -- according to your own taste and wine budget.  You only need to find one Cabernet that you really like.  A solid Cabernet for $11-12 a bottle is a steal in my book.