2020 Carmel Road Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast, California (750ml)   

About the Icons
We are constantly in search of moderately priced wines that deliver genuine varietal character, meaning that a $12 Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, should still taste like Cabernet. We expect this, of course, in a $100 Napa Cabernet - and shame on the winery if that is not the case - but it is much harder to deliver in the sub-$20 category. Carmel Road comes through, with gentle tannins and an immediately approachable style.

Producer notes: "Inland from Monterey’s rugged coastline, yet still directly in the path of the ocean’s relentless influence, Carmel Road Winery creates vibrant Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc that captures the essence of this remarkable region and California's coastal vineyards. We were drawn to the area two decades ago, attracted by the combination of cool, foggy nights and warm, sunny, days that ripen fruit to perfection. Once thought too cool for vineyards, Monterey is now considered one of the premiere growing regions in California. Our sustainably farmed vineyards stretch across windswept benchlands, where the maritime climate and well-drained, alluvial gravel soils produce highly expressive wines. The first vintage of Carmel Road wines was released in 1999. There’s a back road that stretches from the town of Carmel by the Sea, traversing the Arroyo Seco and through scenic gaps in the Santa Lucia hills, connecting the inland growing region to the ocean [The road referred to here is actually Carmel VALLEY Road, but we forgive the poetic license ;>]. This winding trail was the inspiration for our name, our own Carmel Road."