Napa Creek Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Grapes: Cabernet sauvignon (76 percent), merlot (13 percent), mixed varieties (11 percent)

Region: Napa Valley, Calif.

Vintage: 2009

Price: $9.99

In the glass: Napa Creek Cabernet Sauvignon is a deeply opaque, blood-ruby-red color with a blackish core going out into a fine crimson-red to pinkish rim definition with medium-high viscosity.

On the nose: The wine has a lot of great berry fruit packed into it with clear influences from the merlot in the form of blueberry pie notes, then there’s crushed black and red currants, as well as hints of oak, vanilla pudding and anise powder and perhaps a touch of earthy minerals, but generally a fruit-driven wine.

On the palate: There is a real soft attack of crushed black berry fruits with underlying vanilla tones, boysenberry sorbet, creme de cassis, stewed black currants, jammy cherries, minerality and aniseed notes. The midpalate is showing good balance with supple tannin structure, soft fruit components, hints of oak and minerals going into a rather impressive and well-balanced finish, giving off yet more fruit and a touch of mintiness.

Odds and ends: Years ago, this winery was sued by a group of Napa Valley vintners claiming its wine ruined the image of Napa Valley wines, because it was sold for less than $10. I don’t think it did anything of the sort, and why should consumers spend $50 to $200 per bottle for something that has Napa Valley and cabernet sauvignon on the label, when they can get it for way less? I admire this winery for putting out solid juice in the bottle, and it does mess up the market for those who are trying to get five times as much for wines that are inherently not any different in quality. In addition, this Napa Creek wine is from the blockbuster 2009 vintage, so it’s a double-bonus to get your hands on it. This is a classic wine that is easy to pair with a medium-rare grilled sirloin steak. It should hold up well during the next decade and drink beautifully through 2020.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz’s wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89106-0749, or email him at gil@winevegas.com.