The great and iconic wines of the world are special because of geography. The land on which the grapes are grown and its surrounding environment is what makes Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti and Sassicaia Sassicaia. Though a humble California Cabernet will never compare to those wines, the place where the fruit originates is still extremely important. The majority of inexpensive Cabernet comes out of Lodi or Paso Robles where the weather is hot and the ground fertile. These wines are fine but are a bit one-note and lean towards the overripe and heavy-handed side. Move to the hills of Sonoma and you get cooler evenings and a longer growing season. The difference shows in this satisfying Cabernet which offers deep blackberry fruits, a light savory note from time in barrel and a subtle but reassuring tannic structure which all add up to "real wine" that happens to be California Cab. Food Pairings: Philly Cheesesteak; Carne Asada Torta Sliders; Mushroom Pad Kra Pao