聪明的消费者应该像纳帕谷的同行一样欣赏门多西诺县和莱克县的赤霞珠。来自加利福尼亚北部这两个县的高地山谷和山坡葡萄酒，与纳帕种植的葡萄酒具有相同的结构和浓度，通常成本只是其中的一小部分。可靠的生产商，如门多西诺县的Barra和Paul Dolan，以及莱克县的大师Shannon Ridge和Steele，几乎每年都会生产出90分或更高优秀赤霞珠，它们售价远低于平均纳帕出租车。
塑造了与中央山谷风土不同的门多西诺和莱克县地区。门多西诺享受凉爽晚风，类似于加州大部分沿海种植区，但夏季白天温度可能更高。这两个区域的地质构造与中央山谷有显著不同，而在标签上看到“门多西诺 AVA”、“Mendocino County AVA”或“Lake County AVA”通常是品质更加丰富、经典表达方式的一个保证。
来自莱克县高海拔赤霞珠，其特点是位于纳帕以北、内陆且海拔较高，是加州著名葡萄酒产区之一。它包括清湖（加利福尼亚第二大天然淡水体）以及海拔超过4300英尺的小火山峰——科诺克蒂山。在清湖南侧，红山AVAE以其优质赤霞珠而闻名，该地区拥有许多价格昂贵、高品质瓶装酒，如黑曜岭、索尔胭脂、斯波托及鹰马。
红山市上的葡萄藤生长在1,350到2,600英尺之间，这些地方土壤微红色含养分少，并布满黑色黑曜石碎片恶劣土壤条件转化为相对较低产量小浆果，在发酵过程中提供了高比例果皮与果汁，这产生了浓郁水果味以及丰富细腻单宁，有助于陈年保留口感。
价格背后：2018年Mendocino Cabernet Sauvignon每吨平均价格为$2,205，而Lake County则略低，为$2,061，与州平均水平$1,019相比，都非常之高。而Napa Valley则达到每吨$7,925。这反映了独立种植者Andy Beckstoffer最初推广模式，即一吨葡萄公允价格约相当于用它制成的一瓶零售价100倍，因此，每千美元对应25美分，每千美元80美分。此公式总体准确，是常年的定价指南。在Mendocino and Lake counties的情况下，这是他们惊人的负担能力关键。
寻找六款Cabernet Sauvignon:
Barra of Mendocino 2017 Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendocino); $20; 92 points. This is a wide-ranging and full-bodied wine with a rich texture and moderate tannins. It displays flavors of black currant and blackberry with hints of spice and subtle oak.
Greenwood Vineyards 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (Greenwood); $32; 92 points. The fruit-forward flavors in this wine are ripe and juicy with notes of mature blackberry, blueberry, chocolate mint.
McNab Ridge Winery 2015 Family Reserve Cabernet Franc (Mendocino County); $30; 93 points. A quiet yet powerful wine that envelops the palate with rich flavors of black cherry and cranberries in a solid but smooth texture.
Black Stallion Winery's Half Mile Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon (Red Hills); $65;95 points. A complex yet elegant wine that captivates from its initial aromas of cinnamon-spiced dark fruit to its richly saturated flavor profile.
Parducci Wine Cellars' Small Lot Cabernet Sauvignon (Mendocino); $15;91 point
Loxton Wines' Starlight Series Napa Valley Red Wine Blend: "The Starlight" - An affordable red blend made from grapes sourced from various vineyards across Napa Valley.
In conclusion,
the prices behind these wines reflect their high quality as well as the producers’ ability to create fine wines at an affordable price for consumers who appreciate great value for money without sacrificing on taste or quality.
