10 Top-Rated California Cabernets Under $40

Nottingham Cellars 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon (Livermore Valley); $36, 92 points. Complex aromas and rich full fruit and spice flavors drive this full-bodied mouthfilling wine. The aroma gives cedar and nutmeg, the flavors evoke black cherry, clove and blackberry, while the texture is moderately tannic yet still plush and soothing. Best after 2023. Editors’ Choice. —Jim Gordon

Falcone 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon (Paso Robles); $35, 90 points. Yet another stellar wine from John and Helen Falcone’s modest vineyard in Creston and small family project, this bottling is voluptuous, elegant and layered on the nose with black fruit, purple flowers, sandalwood and hints of soy and cocoa. The palate shows candied red fruit and concentrated black currant, framed by firm yet relenting-as-needed tannins. Editors’ Choice. —Matt Kettmann

Black Stallion 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley); $30, 92 points. With a woody nose of toasted oak and dried herb, this impressive wine is structured and bright, with fresh cassis and red cherry. Balanced and well integrated, it shows depth of flavor and complexity. —Virginie Boone

Obsidian Ridge 2015 Estate Grown Obsidian Ridge Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Red Hills Lake County); $30, 92 points. This smells and tastes like a classic California Cabernet. It’s full of spicy oak aromas and big, ripe fruit flavors supported by firm tannins for a rich, mouthcoating effect and a lingering finish. Grown in a high-elevation vineyard and aged in all Hungarian oak barrels, it will be best after 2023. Editors’ Choice. —Jim Gordon

Ruby Hill Winery 2014 Reserve Collection Cabernet Sauvignon (Livermore Valley); $29, 93 points. Beautiful oak aromas and flavors intertwine perfectly with ripe fruits like black cherries and blackberries in this rich, concentrated and complex wine. Great balance between rich fruit, firm tannins and light acidity make it lively but mouthfilling at the same time, while the finish is delicious and lingering. Editors’ Choice. —Jim Gordon

Le P’tit Paysan 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (Central Coast); $25, 91 points. Warm aromas of baked red cherry and caramel grow more complex due to a gravelly minerality and hints of peppercorns on the nose of this bottling by Ian Brand. The palate leads with oregano and pepper, those spices overwhelming the fruit, and the rocky minerality continues, leading into a cocoa-laced finish. It is a lithe and lively style of Cab. Editors’ Choice. —Matt Kettmann

Lucas & Lewellen 2015 Estate Vineyards Valley View Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Santa Ynez Valley); $25, 90 points. Aromas of plum, black cherry, spice cake and turned earth show on the nose of this bottling from a vineyard that’s just east of Solvang and overlooks the Santa Ynez River. Boysenberry and plum flavors meet with oregano, lilac, tobacco and leather touches on the sip, which is upheld by sticky tannins yet remains lighter bodied. It is a versatile Cab for food. —Matt Kettman

Paris Valley Road 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon (California); $20, 91 points. Beefy, roasted aromas and superripe fruit flavors highlight this full-bodied, expansive and well-structured wine. The concentrated fruit tones offer dried plums and raisins while the texture has a lot of grip from tannins. —Jim Gordon

Rolling Plains 2014 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley); $20, 90 points. Medium bodied, soft and supple, this is an easy-drinking and approachable wine, lengthy in chocolate, raspberry and red currant, that’s ready to enjoy and is priced unbearably fair. Editors’ Choice. —Virginie Boone

Smith & Hook 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (Central Coast); $20, 90 points. Always one of the more compelling bottlings for the price each year, this vintage shows deep plum, black cherry and vanilla on the welcoming nose. The mouthfeel is impressively thick and the firm texture quite gravelly, carrying flavors of black fruit, roast beef and black pepper. Editors’ Choice. —Matt Kettmann