This is a juicy, simple red that overdelivers on its price point, offering expansive layers of soft rich red- and black-cherry fruit. Friendly and approachable, it's a fantastic value and balanced in style.

Creamy oak and savory herb notes combine to give this a rich mix of sage and underbrush flavors that complement the dusty wild berry and toasty oak elements.

This is Kendall-Jackson’s mid-tier Cabernet Sauvignon, positioned between their Vintner’s Reserve and their Alexander Valley Jackson Estate bottlings. A balanced blend of five Bordeaux grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon [81%], Petit Verdot [9%], Merlot [5%], Cabernet Franc [3%] and Malbec), it’s focused on dark fruit flavors. Suave and soft tannins make it ideal for current consumption.

Herb, dill and cedar notes are prominent amid taut, dry dark berry and cigar box flavors. Ends as it begins, with a tight structure.

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Vintner's Reserve delivers serious quality for the money. Dark cherry, smoke, tobacco, leather and licorice are pushed forward in this super expressive, budget friendly Cabernet.

A dependable full-bodied Californian red wine with mocha from oak aging and some dark plums. Smoky on the finish. Pair with roast beef.

Displays sturdy, gripping, earth-and-herb laced tannins that tilt toward the drying side, revealing its savory personality and supple texture.

A dependable full-bodied Californian red wine with mocha from oak aging and some dark plums. Smoky on the finish. Pair with roast beef. Cabernet Sauvignon food pairings: veal chops, rosemary lamb, barbecued ribs in sauce, chicken cacciatore.

Inky blue and purplish fruit, mocha, spices and searing, salivating tannins are some of the signatures in the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Jackson Estate Napa Mountain. There is plenty of Mt. Veeder personality in the glass, that much is clear. When and if the tannins will ever soften is another question entirely. With time in the glass, the wine picks up expressive scents of pipe tobacco, herbs, smoke and black cherry, yet it remains quite forbidding,

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Vintner's Reserve is an excellent choice for drinking over the next few years. Grilled herbs, cedar, new leather and dark red stone fruits add nuance on the soft, supple finish.

Dependable, consistent and predictable, this workhorse Cabernet is true to its consumer base who look for the same signature each year. Smooth, full-bodied with mocha and dark chocolate from oak aging.

A dependable and approachable Californian Cabernet year after year. Black fruit, oak, smoke and spice. Firm grippy tannins so decant for 1-2 hours and pair with a rare steak.

Kendall-Jackson's 2012 Stature Bordeaux Red Blend is laced with dark chocolate, mocha, plums, blackberry jam and spices, all in a sumptuous style that showcases power. This is a bit of an outlier in a range of wines that are in theory designed to showcase the attributes of specific vineyards. As such, the Stature comes across as a wine made in the cellar. There is not a whole lot of excitement here.

There’s some real complexity to this Cab, which was blended with Petit Verdot, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Bone dry, its flavors range from blackberries and currants to red cherry marmalade, bacon, black pepper and sandalwood. The tannins are strong and not likely to age away, so drink up.

Opaque ruby. Spice- and tobacco-accented dark berry and cherry compote aromas show very good clarity, with complicating hints of fresh rose and vanilla. Fleshy, sweet and broad on entry, then more tangy in the mid-palate, offering bitter cherry and berry skin flavors and a touch of black pepper. Closes with good energy, subtle sweetness and dusty tannins that provide structure and grip.

K-J’s basic Cab has gotten pricier over the years, but quality has kept up. This wine still offers excellent value. It’s elegant in construction, with tailored tannins and acids and fine flavors of blackberries and currants that lead to a spicy finish.

The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Vintner's Reserve is one of the best values in this range from Kendall-Jackson. Graphite, spices, blue/blackish fruit, savory herbs and earthy notes meld together in a wine that impresses for its layered personality. Sonoma County is a great source for value-priced Cabernet Sauvignons. The Vintner's Reserve is a great example of what can be achieved in this part of northern California.

Mocha and dark chocolate on the nose from generous oak aging. Black fleshy plums and dark fruit aromas and flavours on the palate of this full-bodied, supple red wine with a tannic grip. Decant 1-2 hours.

Smooth-textured, with pure, ripe cherry, plum and wild berry notes that are supple and graceful. Easy to drink and nicely proportioned.

Plums, savory herbs, graphite and pencil shavings fuse together in Kendall-Jackson's 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Vintner's Reserve. A stunning value, the 2010 is loaded with varietal character. Layers of flavor build to the deep, intensely satisfying finish. I am not sure how Kendall-Jackson can make 132,000 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon of this level, but evidently they can. At $19 the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the very finest values in domestic wine. Sourced primarily from vineyards in Sonoma County, the 2010 includes drops of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Carmenere. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2018.

This supple, graceful red shows medium-weight currant, mineral, black licorice and spice notes. Well-proportioned, ending clean and pure.

A soft, cushioned red with the earthy, herbal scents of cabernet, this is plush, quiet, simple and pleasing.

The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Vintner's Reserve is another terrific wine in the Vintner's Reserve series. Expressive red berries, herbs, flowers and spices are some of the notes that flesh out in the glass in this polished Cabernet. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2015.

A lovely, polished Cab, brimming with fresh flavors of blackberries, currants, cedar and spice. With its dry, lush mouthfeel and firm tannins, it provides quite a bang for your buck.