My pick for this week showcases everything I love about California Cabernet Sauvignon at an incredible price for a wine of such pedigree and natural grace: 2022 Altruria Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon, just $24.99 if you buy 6 bottles or more ($25.99 for 1-5 bottles; reg. $29.99).

We pushed hard for this deal—for you. The 2022 Altruria was released at a lower price than the 2021, despite being the better vintage. Even then, we held firm. “Not good enough,” we said. I even joked, “My wine budget is on a serious diet.” At last, they yielded, and now we’re passing the savings on to you.

What captivates me here is the balance of richness and finesse. The 2022 Altruria bursts with luminous red fruit—Morello cherries, wild strawberries, and a touch of red currant. Supple tannins provide structure without ever overshadowing the wine’s silky elegance. Where Napa Cabernets lean heavily on dark fruit and power, Sonoma’s beauty is built on vibrant red fruit, natural grace, and nuance. Altruria is a Cabernet with a freshness that makes it irresistible now, yet with the poise to develop beautifully over time.

Napa may have the name, but I discovered long ago that Sonoma makes world-class Cabernet in a gentler, more welcoming style—one I love every bit as much, perhaps more. And when it comes to value, it’s no contest. Sonoma wins, hands down.

Why? It’s A Tale of Two Valleys.

Napa’s high prices are built on a beautiful but flawed myth. Although both Napa and Sonoma Cabernets fall under broad regional designations encompassing multiple sub-AVAs, there’s a key distinction. The legendary Cabernets that built Napa’s reputation overwhelmingly come from a specific stretch along Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail, where world-class vineyards in Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena, and Stags Leap define the region’s identity.

Yet the broader Napa Valley designation—where most sub-$40 Napa Cabernets come from—rely heavily on grapes from less esteemed areas of Napa, such as Chiles Valley, Wild Horse, and Pope Valley. Frankly, these wines bear scant resemblance to the power and polish of the marquee AVAs.

Sonoma, on the other hand, delivers consistent quality across its various sub-regions. While Alexander Valley, Knights Valley, Dry Creek, and Russian River Valley each have their own stylistic signatures, the overall standard remains impressively high. This gives winemakers more flexibility in fashioning their Cabernets—often with more grace and nuance than their Napa counterparts.

While Sonoma may not have Napa’s towering reputation for Cabernet Sauvignon, it plays second fiddle to no one. It is home to a wealth of famous, critically acclaimed producers crafting extraordinary Cabs. Estates like Vérité, Peter Michael, Anakota, and Morlet Family Vineyards consistently produce Cabernets that rival Napa’s best, often commanding prices well north of $100 a bottle. Meanwhile, Paul Hobbs, Silver Oak’s Sonoma bottlings, Jackson Family’s top-tier offerings from Stonestreet and Lokoya’s Alexander Valley offerings further prove that Sonoma is more than capable of delivering profound, age-worthy Cabernets that earn rave reviews from collectors and critics alike.

Winemaking details:

** 2022 Altruria Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 100% Cabernet. Following a traditional Bordeaux-style fermentation, the wine is aged for 12 months in a combination of new and used French oak barrels, enhancing both structure and complexity

** The grapes are sourced from Alexander Valley and Fountaingrove AVAs—two distinctive regions that shape the wine’s character. While Alexander Valley is well known for producing richly fruited, supple Cabernets, Fountaingrove—established as an AVA in 2015—is one of Sonoma’s newest and most exciting Cabernet-growing regions. Nestled just north of Santa Rosa, it sits at a dynamic crossroads: Sonoma Valley lies to the south, Russian River Valley to the north, and Napa’s Diamond Mountain District and Calistoga AVAs just across the county line to the east. This unique positioning allows for an exceptional balance of ripeness, freshness, and structure—hallmarks of the Altruria style.

** Altruria takes its name from one of California’s earliest utopian colonies, founded in 1894 just outside Santa Rosa—near where Altruria Cabernet is made today.

Tasting Note

2022 Altruria Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2022 Altruria Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon is a beautifully balanced expression of Sonoma’s signature style. It opens with luminous red fruit—Morello cherries, wild strawberries, and red currant—layered with subtle hints of baking spice, cedar, and a touch of cocoa. The tannins are silky and refined, providing structure without overshadowing the wine’s natural elegance. On the palate, its vibrant freshness and supple texture make it immediately inviting, while a lingering, polished finish hints at the wine’s ability to evolve gracefully over time.

–– Ben Giliberti, CW Director of Wine Education