$25 Napa Cab.  Nothing, I think, can be more fun, more wrought with interesting situations, more variable with exciting highs and depressing lows, as $25 Napa Cab.  And as Pinot prices ebb and flow depending on whatever movie is popular and Syrah and Grenache prices plummet and sky-rocket depending on whatever Rhone Revival is happening or whatever producer/area/winemaker is trendy this week, one thing has stayed completely stable for several decades, and that is the availability and quality–if one searches–of $25 Napa Cab.  Despite whatever astronomical prices are being commanded by the Holy Untouchables or whatever lawsuit is befalling the dretch over a misleading “Napa” labeling, this one thing has stayed certain over my many years of wine buying and collecting:  There will always be plenty of $25 Napa Cab.  And it is always risky.

This one is not one of those risks.  Fairly thin ruby with no edges and surprisingly staining.  Nice, controlled nose of briar and heady stock.  Gamy, with buttered-popcorn notes over-lying a core of deep, dark fruit and mineral.  A bit *construed* I suppose, but Napa cabs at this price-point always taste a bit lab-enhanced.  But hey:  I would much rather have the ‘forced-mouthfeel’ at the 25-dollar level–and the range of things it can bring forth–than the absolute boredom and textbook proclivities of the $100+ set of Napa cabs.  With few exceptions–mostly from label-programs carried on from the 70’s or 80’s–those 90+ pointers ALL TASTE EXACTLY THE SAME.  This one has a core of acid which instantly sets it apart from the high-dollar offerings from the area.  The bright yeasty acid starts in the bouquet and transfers seamlessly onto the tongue, slowly over-powering the bright cherry ripeness and broken-twig herbaceousness and transitioning perfectly into a chewy tannic finish.  With a little air, the oak and earth backbone see-saws underneath the fruit–each fighting to come out on top.  You can do WAAAAAAAY worse for 25 bucks in Napa.  Hell, you can do way worse for 25 bucks in Sonoma!  Chalk this one up to another great find.

2012 TWENTY BENCH Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 13.8
http://www.twentybench.com