Louis Martini Sonoma Cabernet Greatness

Now that we have established that Cabernet Sauvignon is a great source of the healthy flavonoid antioxidant, we must locate a tried and true great value Cab this month to take advantage!  And on cue, the quality folks at Louis Martini have kindly provided the 2012 Louis Martini Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon.   Retailing for under $18 (but widely available for closer to $14), the 2012 Louis Martini Sonoma Cab strikes your humble Wine Bargain sleuth as a nearly sure thing for a value California Cab, as evidenced by its consistently high marks from Wine Advocate since 2005.  If you are under the impression that reasonably priced, high quality Cabs are simply not available from California, this wine will give you second thoughts on your theory.  The 2012 vintage of the Louis Martini Sonoma Cab is a true Bordeaux blend, of which 87% of the juice is sourced from Sonoma Valley Cab Sav grapes.  This widely-available value Big Red has a nose of dark fruit, plenty of structure and still manages a lovely, smooth finish, due perhaps to the fairly low 13.9% alcohol content.  This wine has been a house favorite for the past 4-5 vintages, and no less a wine expert than Robert Parker of Wine Advocate awarded the 2012 Louis Martini Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon a highly respectable 88 rating, a significant value at this price point when one considers the cost of similar quality California Cabs.  If you haven’t yet identified a Big Red house wine (see Chapter 23 for discussion), then you should consider this month’s Value Wine No. 1 for the honor at your house!