Defcon level 5 alert for all you bargain Cabernet bargain sleuths!!

Hope you have space in your wine closet / cellar / fridge or bedroom floor because today it’s going DOWN.

Down with the price, we mean. And inventory is already heading down too.

Some of you have been wondering where the $20 Cabernet has gone. We didn’t forget about you and today we’re making up for it in a big way with this $20 bottle from a pioneer of the California winemaking scene. This hits way, WAY above its weight class and is easily the finest value Cab we’ve had in some time.

Some of us have been in this business long enough to remember how HOT Steele wines were in the 1990s when they hit the scene. A little digging reveals such praise from Robert Parker, “Formerly the winemaker at Kendall-Jackson, Jed Steele is to be highly commended for his debut releases… if Mr. Steele is able to follow up on quality such as this in California’s better vintages, he will quickly establish himself as one of the superstars of his profession. His wines possess great fruit, excellent to outstanding richness, and superb purity and focus. None of his wines are excessively woody.”

Yes, that little operation known as Jackson Family Wines probably wouldn’t have become what it is today without Jed’s help.

This is the golden retriever of Cabernet. Big, plush, super-duper friendly, easygoing, not too serious, but absolutely lovable. Ripe and very juicy, just how you like it - think crushed black cherries, plum jam, a little balsamic reduction, and sweet toffee. It’s supple, soft, and fairly extracted. Drink it with pizza, In-N-Out burgers, or a beef wellington (invite please). It’s a pleasure fest any which way.

One more fun fact before we go - the grapes that go into this Red Hills Cab come from a very special source. Well-known Napa grape grower Andy Beckstoffer provides the Clone 6 and Clone 37 grapes for this bottling. Indeed, Beckstoffer has worked with Steele since 2002.

There you have it. We challenge you to find a better value Cabernet for this price.

Beckstoffer. Cab. 90+ score. 18 bucks. The writing is on the wall!

First, you have to get some. Make sure you add extras on top of what you think you need.

You’ll be happy you did.

91 Points – Wine Enthusiast

“This bold and tightly wound wine shows super concentrated black-cherry and dark-chocolate flavors laced with firm tannins that make it a bit mouthpuckering at this stage. But all that compact fruit in the middle should become more complex with time as the tannins soften. Best from 2025.”