Nickel and Dime Wine readers are getting this deal 48 hours before it’s announced to the general public.

Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet is one of the most highly regarded wines from the Napa Valley.  Its ratings pedigree is legendary, garnering cult scores at reasonable production levels.  This is the wine that’s $180 on every prime steakhouse’s reserve list.  $115 at the winery, $90 at most retailers, LA Wine Co. is selling it for $59.95.  This is the best Cabernet deal of the year so far.  Easily.

Beringer Private Reserve is also one of my personal favorites.  I have every vintage between 2003 and 2007 with the exception of ’06 which I missed somehow.  The 2005 featured here was awarded 94 points from Stephen Tanzer who called it “Sexy from the start”, 93 from Wine Spectator and 92 from Robert Parker.

If you like Beringer PR, buy up today.  It drinks great now, but will last for another 15+ years.  This deal will be announced to the public on Monday and it will sell out.  LA Wine Co. ships nationally.

Buy Here: 2005 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet $59.95

Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar 94 points

“Good bright medium ruby. Knockout nose combines black raspberry, minerals and sweet spices. Lush and creamy, with explosive, fully ripe dark fruit and mineral flavors and terrific back-end lift. Finishes with big, broad, fine-grained tannins and impressive length. The goal here is not to make an early-drinking wine but one with sweet tannins and thoroughly ripe fruit, notes winemaker Laurie Hook, but I find this sexy from the start.”

Wine Spectator 93 points

“Offers richness, concentration and depth while remaining elegant and supple, focusing on the ripe, spicy currant, mineral, herb and sage notes…”

Robert Parker 92 points

“There is no doubt that the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is the top wine in the portfolio. Delicious notes of smoky oak, creme de cassis, espresso roast, blackberries, and graphite are followed by a full-bodied, powerful, rich wine with undeniable elegance and finesse as well as sweet tannins. It can be drunk now or cellared for 15-20 years. This cuvee usually includes about 5% Cabernet Franc in the blend. I doubt this vintage will turn out to be as impressive as the 2004, 2002, and 2001 Private Reserves.”

Today’s post is written by Brian Hewitt, guest blogger, wine lover/collector and father of your’s truly.

Let’s face it, consistently picking a knock-out Bordeaux is more of a challenge than picking a killer California cab. Bordeaux is nearly eight times the size of Napa Valley, so naturally, there is a wider range of styles produced there. Add in the significant variation from vintage to vintage and picking a winner can be a challenge.  Knowing this, my usual plan is to try it first on someone else’s nickel. I violated my own rule for a weekend trip to Scottsdale, bought a single bottle of 2005 Chateau Fleur Cardinale and am running back for more.

My average price per bottle is creeping higher (we can argue about the long term impact of that later) but I still think about it before spending $59.95 on a bottle of wine. When I do, I expect a return on the investment. This Saint-Emilion Gran Cru is a hit at that price, start to finish. It opens with a classic complex Bordeaux nose but that is just the beginning. Subtle vanilla and blackberry notes lead to a pronounced yet pleasing dry finish and finish and finish….

Wine Spectator slates this one for post 2016 consumption. There is no doubt it will continue to improve with time. Somebody better put it under lock or there’s no way mine will last that long.

Buy Here: 2005 Chateau Fleur Cardinale Saint-Emilion Grand Cru $59.95

Robert Parker 95 points

“A stunning sleeper of the vintage, quality at this property has soared under the relatively new owners, Dominique and Florence Decosters. The 2005, a blend of 70% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, was fashioned from yields of 33 hectoliters per hectare. This concentrated wine possesses a gorgeous bouquet of smoke, black currant liqueur, lead pencil shavings, cedar, and Asian spices. In the mouth, it displays a chocolaty richness, a beautiful texture, an expansive, multilayered mouthfeel, and a 45-second finish. A fabulous effort, it will be drinkable in 4-5 years, and should last for over two decades.”

Of note, this wine also received 93 points from Wine Spectator and 92+ from IWC.

Cakebread is probably the most famous name in domestic Chardonnay.  It’s the wine business people drop $100+ on at restaurants when they are trying to impress clients and the wine I buy to celebrate my wife’s birthday.  The Cakebread name is synonymous with luxury and quality.  When you order Cakebread, you know you are going to get a great Chardonnay with remarkable consistency from vintage to vintage.

So when I opened a bottle of Cakebread’s 2009 Chardonnay to celebrate a friend’s engagement, I was a little surprised at what I tasted.  Not because the quality was anything different- the wine was fantastic.  I was surprised because what I tasted was a departure, although not a dramatic one, from the rich, oaky style Cakebread is known (and sometimes criticized) for.  As one who enjoys both citrus focused stainless steel Chardonnay and the buttery, oak and honey focused barrel aged version, I won’t get into the debate about which style is better.  Wondering if my taster was off, I emailed Dennis Cakebread, who has been nice enough to contribute his thoughts in the past, to see if he could offer any insight.

He confirmed my observations that the ’09 had less oak, saying “We did back off on the amount of new oak used as we noticed the ’08 was more oak focused than we prefer”.  But what I perceived as less malolactic fermentation (turning crisp citric acid to buttery lactic acid), was more a function of a culmination of factors than a change in winemaking style.

Cakebread (the man not the wine) said “The 2009 has about 7% malo while the 2008 actually had no malo.  A lot has to do with the growing season and how the acids and pH’s come together”.  He goes on to cite variations in “growing season, crop size, berry size, cluster weights, weather just before harvest, how even was the set,  how was the spring, was the winter wet, when in the growing season did we get heat spikes” as factors contributing to the overall style.  Make no mistake about it, Cakebread is still making rich, complex Chardonnay that many consider to the the benchmark of the varietal in the U.S.  Consider the 2009 vintage a small step toward satisfying emerging trends while still sticking to their overall winemaking ideals.  This vintage is absolutely another in a long line of Cakebread fantastic Chardonnay.  If you haven’t tried Cakebread in a while, maybe it’s time to give it another shot.  If you have always enjoyed the wine, as I have, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the updated style.

Special thanks to Dennis Cakebread for his commentary for our readers.

Buy here: 2009 Cakebread Chardonnay $34.95

Everyone has a bottle that really turned them on to wine.  For me it was a Nickel & Nickel Syrah that was ordered at a business dinner right after I graduated from college.  Now that I’m way past the point of being turned on to wine, I’ve found that certain bottles turn me on to regions or styles of wine.  Since that first special bottle, I’ve started to love Priorat after drinking a Mas Doix Salanques, Chardonnay after first trying Cakebread and so on.

I’ve always liked Rhone wines, especially Chateauneuf du Pape, but I never “got it” until last week (by “getting it” I mean that I would seek out these wines to collect).  I was on vacation in Charleston, SC (you could probably tell by my total lack of posts) where we had a veritable wine extravaganza.  While dining at our favorite restaurant, Samos Taverna, our wine guy, Adam, brought out some off menu choices for us as he always does.  We ended up going with a fantastic blend of native grapes from Portugal, a Napa Cabernet and a bottle of 2006 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape.  While I expected the highly rated Napa Cabernet to be my favorite, the Beaucastel was the clear winner and to make it taste even better, Adam sold it to us at an ungodly low price.

The 2006 Beaucastel isn’t available anymore but the 2007, which is supposed to be even better (RP96 vs. RP95) is available.  It’s not cheap at $89.95 but as usual, LA Wine Co. has the lowest price in the country.  If you love CdP as I now do, pick some up before the historic 2007 vintage is gone.

2007 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape $89.95

Robert Parker 96 points

“Beaucastel’s 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape has turned out even better out of bottle than I predicted. An inky/ruby/purple color is followed by a glorious nose of blue and black fruits, truffles, pen ink, licorice, and meat juices as well as glorious levels of acidity and sweet tannin, buttressing the fruit’s fabulous freshness and vibrancy. This full-bodied effort still displays considerable tannin, no doubt because of the relatively high Mourvedre content. It should resolve its tannins in 2-4 years, and last for 25 or more.

One of the great estates of the Rhone Valley, Chateau Beaucastel has been run by several generations of the Perrin family, beginning with the late Jacques Perrin (who died in 1978), then the brothers Jean-Pierre and Francois, and now their sons Thomas, Marc, Pierre, and Mathieu. Beaucastel has nearly 200 acres in vine in Chateauneuf du Pape, and they have branched out with an impressive operation under the Perrin et Fils label, purchasing grapes and acquiring land (in Vinsobres and Gigondas, for example). Their goal is to become the most recognized name for high quality wines in the southern Rhone. As shrewd consumers know, one of the best values in under $10 a bottle wine is La Vieille Ferme. The Perrin et Fils cuvees include wines made from purchased grapes as well as their new acquisitions in Vinsobres, Gigondas (25 acres), and the Cotes du Rhone village of Cairanne (35 acres). The Perrins enjoyed tremendous success with their 2008 red wines, largely because yields ranged between 18 hectoliters per hectare for Beaucastel, to only 20 hectoliters per hectare for Coudoulet. The mildew that affected everyone was the culprit. The entire family acknowledged there was an extraordinary triage and culling out of the grapes at the sorting tables.”

I had an unexpected surprise tonight and no, it wasn’t my 20 minute conversation with a former American Idol’s intoxicated wife, although that was a surprise.  It was that the Chardonnay served while conducting that conversation, at a big convention’s opening cocktail hour, was Cakebread (classy right?).  Normally you get a $5 grocery store wine like Mondavi Woodbridge, but tonight was special!

Cakebread is one of my perennial favorites and the 2008 vintage doesn’t disappoint.   It’s a great mix of fresh green apple flavors with a great mouthcoating buttery texture.  It has new oak, with with a balance that so many California Chardonnays are missing.

I had the pleasure of visiting Cakebread Winery last year and can tell you firsthand that they take their wine very seriously.  We actually ran into Jack Cakebread walking the floors of the production facility, making sure everything was operating to his high standards.  The single vineyard craze does have some merit, but a little known fact is that Cakebread purchases a high percentage of their grapes from various places in Napa, many from Trefethen vineyards.  This allows them to focus on wine making and, in my opinion, has contributed to their consistency over the years.  Well done!

2008 Cakebread Chardonnay- $34.95

How can a $60 wine be an incredible value?  When it’s Caymus Cabernet.

I’m sitting outside under the California heater on a beautiful spring evening and I’m trying to come up with a reason why the 2007 Caymus isn’t the most enjoyable wine I’ve ever had.  I’m willing to officially crown this the best California Cabernet I’ve had under $100.  And it’s $40 under $100!

2007 is really proving to be a great vintage for Napa Cabernet.  It’s approachable early, but has the structure to age.  I had the 2006 Caymus soon after it was released and it was good, but really needed to be laid back for 5 years before it was really ready to drink.  The ’07 tastes amazing now and I have every reason to believe it’s only going to get better.

This wine is unique.  The nose is complex and warm with earthy tones.  The aromas jump out of the glass but not a single scent dominates.  The wine pours almost black and that density is fully reflected in the mouth.  It’s mouth-coating with a sweet chocolaty flavor accented with, but not obstructed by, toasty oak.  The tannins required for aging are there, but not overpowering, and the ’07 Caymus definitely isn’t shy.  But it’s also not overblown either as its 15% alcohol is perfectly integrated.

For me, there’s something indescribable about a special wine; the kind you want to taste again and again, even if you’ve just had a sip (WARNING: this can result in dizziness, memory loss and entire days spent laying on your couch).  Caymus is one of those wines and if you haven’t tasted the ’07 yet, do yourself a favor and come up with an excuse to celebrate.

Other things my wife and I bought today that cost $60: a tank of gas, curtains and gardening supplies.  Will any of those give us the pleasure of a bottle of Caymus?  Clearly not… I have to hang the curtains after all!

Wine Spectator 92 points

“Ripe and fleshy, with rich plum, wild berry, spice and savory herb notes that are complex, full-bodied and expansive on the palate, ending with firm tannins and a dash of espresso. Drink now through 2016.”

2007 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon- LA Wine Company $59.95

Update from day 2:  This wine is ridiculously good…

Note: This post was originally published on March 30th with a price of $44.95.  LA Wine Co. has blown out the price at only $39.95.  Buy it up!

From time to time I come across great deals that I have not yet tasted, usually because the wine isn’t ready to drink.  Rather than keep the deals to myself, I will alert my loyal followers.

Robert Craig has been producing top notch mountain wines for years, but this year appears to be their best, at least according to Robert Parker.

This Cabernet was rated at 96 points and at under $40, this is a serious value.  96 point Robert Parker reviews are typically reserved for mailing list only, $150+ per bottle wines- Harlan Estate, Schrader, Pride Mountain Reserve come to mind.

LA Wine Co. is selling this 96 point wine for $39.99.  I seriously doubt another Napa Cabernet with that kind of rating will come out this year for under $50, let alone under $40.  I picked up three and will probably wait two to three years to open the first unless I get inspired to write a review.

96 points Robert Parker:

“The 2007 Affinity exhibits more graphite, but in essence is similarly elegant, with supple tannins (although more velvety than in the 2006), very young, primary black and blue fruit notes, and superb concentration, texture, and length. This is an exceptionally promising wine that is still hiding behind a rather primary display of fruit. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the next 15 or possibly 20 years. This is the best group of wines I have ever tasted from Robert Craig Winery. Not only is there not a single disappointment in this portfolio, but these are all noteworthy wines, with thrilling levels of quality. Moreover, they are moderately priced for Napa Valley as well as ageworthy. I think these are the finest wines that I have ever tasted from Robert Craig Cellars.” (12/09)

2007 Robert Craig “Affinity” Bordeaux Blend- $39.95

From time to time I’m going to be discussing the best places to buy wine (for great prices).  One of my favorite online wine retailers is WTSO.com a.k.a Wines ’til Sold Out.  I’ve bought a few cases of wine from these guys and I’ve always been impressed.  WTSO lists wines a few times a day- with the main event at midnight EST- and sells them until, you guessed it, they are sold out.  It’s a great way for an unnamed major wine retailer to get rid of excess inventory and, truth be told, wineries and distributors are selling wines to WTSO at MAJOR discounts to get rid of their own inventory.

Major benefits:

• Free shipping with minimum purchase (usually between 1 and 4 bottles)
• Quick delivery
• Major names unlike some “one wine deal a day” sites

Let me give you some examples of the great wine deals I’ve gotten from WTSO.  Many of these will be reviewed individually later…

1995 Burgess Cellars Library Selection Cabernet- $22.95 ($68.99 direct from the winery)

1996 Burgess Cellars Library Selection Cabernet- $22.95 ($68.99 direct from the winery)

2006 Laird Family Estate Cabernet Sweet Water Ranch, made by Paul Hobbs- $22.49 ($45 from the winery)

2005 Chateau Lascombes- $49.95 (well over $100 elsewhere)

Subscribe to their emails so you can jump on the deals as they occur.  They often sell out within hours and, sometimes, within minutes.  Their customer service, although email only, is great, and the checkout process is very easy.  Bottom line, WTSO has great deals on great wines.  Check them out.

WTSO.com

For my first post I want to bring to my loyal readers’ attention a great deal for a major Napa producer.  I brought this wine to Chapeau! in San Francisco ($20 corkage) and although it’s very young now, it shows great potential.  It’s complexity is currently hidden by strong tannins right, but give it three or four years and it’s going to be very good.  It’s dense, big and fruity.

BV Tapestry sells for $45+ at the grocery but right now, CityWineCellar.com has it for $24.99.  That’s a crazy price.  Pick up a few bottles, put it away for a while, and you will be rewarded.

2006 BV Tapestry- City Wine Cellars $24.99 + shipping

93 Points – Robert Parker

“The 2006 Proprietary Red Wine Tapestry Reserve (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot) is the finest example of this cuvee I have ever tasted. Flowery, licorice-infused, cassis notes intermixed with forest floor and lead pencil shavings are followed by a layered, impressively built wine with real opulence, lots of red and black fruits, low acidity, and lush tannin. It should drink well for 15+ years…”