Wine of the week: McManis Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Call it McManis month on the blog – and why not, given that this is a spectacular California red

Typically, I try to vary the wines of the week, alternating color, varietal, and producer so no one grape or winery gets more than its share of attention. But when I looked through my notes to plan this month’s wines of the week, I found I had overlooked several McManis labels. Which was a serious mistake, given the paucity of quality $10 wine these days – and especially from California.

So the McManis viognier showed up a couple of weeks ago, and today it’s the turn of the McManis Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 ($10, sample, 13.5%). This is cheap red wine in all its glory – a cabernet that tastes like California cabernet and that hasn’t been “smooothed,” tarted up, or reduced to something that people who drink Dr Pepper would want to drink, if they actually drank wine.

That means herbal, rich and full, with just the right amount of tannins, and with plenty of dark fruit. Maybe it’s black cherry – or even, perhaps, currants, one of the geekiest cabernet descriptors and usually reserved for a $35 wine. The McManis is not sweet, but the fruit is ripe and no one will ever confuse it with an earthy, elegant French red made with cabernet. But it’s not supposed to be confused with one, is it?

Highly recommended, and a candidate for the 2022 Cheap Wine of the Year, as well as to remain in the Hall of Fame. Bring on the burgers and grilled beef, sip a glass or two, and be glad that McManis believes in quality when so many others in California believe in focus groups.