LA Wine Company scores again with the 2006 Contado Mankas Cabernet.  This single vineyard wine from the Suisun Valley AVA (had to look this up- it’s just north of Napa County), is bright, oaky and delicious.  It’s medium to full bodied and is well structured.  I would not call this wine soft, and it benefited greatly from a couple of hours of air.  I was going to call this a great pizza wine, but it’s really good enough to stand up on its own.  As I sit drinking this Cabernet its second day, it has even improved over the first day.

The winery’s website says its made using Italian techniques and I can definitely see that.  It reminds me of a Super Tuscan in that it’s not quite as ripe, heavy and high alcohol as some of the Napa wines.  That said, it’s not a thin wine by any means.  Very well balanced.

I’m a huge believer that Napa makes the best Cabernet in the world, but this wine proves that improved grape growing and wine making techniques are allowing other areas to produce great Cabernet.  In this price range I’m always willing to try Cabernets wines from other regions.  Here are of other favorites, that will likely be reviewed in the near future.

2007 Liberty School Cabernet (Paso Robles)- $13

2007 Hahn Estates Meritage (Monterey)

If you see LA Wine Company showing up on this blog often, it’s because they have a track record of picking great wine and selling it at great prices.  Order some or pick it up and you will not be disappointed.

2006 Contado Mankas Cabernet Sauvignon Mankas Hills Vineyards- LA Wine Co. $9.95

It’s not often that you can find a Napa Cabernet for under $20 let alone a single vineyard Howell Mountain Cabernet.  Mountain wine is notoriously expensive and, in my opinion, for good reason.  The 2005 Bella Vetta “Ami’s Vineyard” Howell Mountian Cabernet has a knock out nose and a long,  lingering finish, in typical mountain style.  It’s medium to full bodied with lots of fruit, but not in an over-ripe style sometimes found down the hill in the valley.

Watch for this wine to get much more expensive as the vines get some age- this is the wineries first offering from the 2 acre Ami’s Vineyard.  But if you had told me the vines are 15 years old, I wouldn’t have thought twice.  Only 248 cases were made, and I wouldn’t be surprised if K&L bought a healthy percentage of it.  I personally own .4% of their production (only 1 case).

This wine definitely has the potential to age at least 10 years, but it will be difficult to hold it for that long.  Enjoy!

91 points Wine Enthusiast:

“Very ripe in cassis, with plenty of smoky oak influence and a spicy, dry finish. This is a bold, tannic young wine, tight and astringent in youth. It needs time in the cellar to soften and meld. Should be best between 2009 and 2011, and live far longer.” (6/1/2009)

2005 Bella Vetta “Ami’s Vineyard” Howell Mountian Cabernet- K&L Wines $19.99

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

One of my favorite daily drinkers is Monte Antico 2006.  As you can see from the picture of tonight’s dinner, it’s great with pizza, but it really shows much better than your average Tuscan pizza wine.  At 85% Sangiovese (with the rest Cabernet and Merlot), it’s very dry but has nice fruit once it opens up.

One of my favorite wine retailers, LA Wine Company, is currently selling this great wine value- which ranked #61 on the 2009 Wine Spectator Top 100- for only $8.99.  At that price, I would (or should I say did), pick up a case or two.  This is a very solid wine value.

2009 Wine Spectator Top 100: #61

“Bright plum, dried cherry and flowers on the nose. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and refined berry and cherry flavors. Drink now.” (WS)

Monte Antico Rossa 2006- LA Wine Company only $8.99