2005 Villa Mt Eden Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon $12

Here’s a $12 Cabernet Sauvignon with all the bells and whistles, most of the grapes are from the Tall Trees Vineyard in Yountville, Napa, the wine is aged for 24 months in 60% French and 40% American oak. In California, a wine has to be at least  75% Cabernet Sauvignon to be labeled as a single varietal Cabernet and the Villa Mt Eden is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot and 2% Malbec. So, you have Napa fruit, 2 years in oak barrels and another 3 years in the bottle all for 12 dollars. The alcohol content is 14.2%.

A nice dark nearly opaque burgundy red. An interesting nose, cedar, blueberry, vanilla, asparagus, raspberry and a touch of bread dough. Good tannins, the Villa Mt. Eden has a nice structure, you can sense the tannins in the back of your mouth, but they are well balanced. Upfront this Cab is dominated by berries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries, not over the top fruit, the flavors are mingled together. The mid-palate is blueberries in milk and is a touch oaky. The finish is also a bit overpowered by the oak, not enough to ruin your drinking enjoyment, I think this wine could use a another year or more in the bottle before it really hits it’s stride.

I don’t know why this Napa Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $12 and another Napa Cab sells for 25 bucks or more. The Villa Mt Eden has good fruit, is well made, has aging potential and tastes good. Villa Mt Eden is made to be enjoyed with a nice steak. This is a real no excuses Napa Cabernet Sauvignon at crazy good price.