Bonanza Cabernet Sauvignon: The Affordable Luxury from Napa's Legendary Wagners

Ever wondered what happens when legendary winemakers decide to create something affordable? Bonanza Cabernet Sauvignon Lot 7 answers that question beautifully, offering a fascinating glimpse into the Wagner family's winemaking philosophy without the premium Caymus price tag.

The Wagner family has deep roots in Napa Valley dating back to the 1880s, and their flagship Caymus Cabernet has earned a devoted following over 45 years. What makes Bonanza special is that it's crafted by the same hands—Chuck Wagner himself—who produces those high-end bottles often selling for over $100. As Domain Dave aptly puts it, "It's like if Ferrari made a Honda Civic."

This non-vintage approach isn't about cutting corners; it's a deliberate strategy. By sourcing grapes from vineyards throughout California, each contributing unique characteristics, Bonanza achieves remarkable complexity for its price point. At 13.3% alcohol—notably lower than many contemporary Cabernets that reach 14-15%—it maintains beautiful balance without excessive sweetness. The flavor profile delivers chocolate and vanilla notes that evolve in the glass, revealing different nuances with each sip.

What you're getting is a genuinely approachable Cabernet that still offers depth and character. The Wagner family's long-standing relationships with growers throughout California translate directly to consumer value, allowing them to create a wine that punches well above its weight class. If you appreciate California Cabernet but don't always want to splurge, this bottle deserves a spot in your regular rotation. Subscribe to our podcast for more hidden gems and affordable wine recommendations that don't compromise on quality!

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Chapters

• 0:00 Intro to Bonanza Cabernet Sauvignon
• 0:31 The Wagner Family Wine Legacy
• 1:32 Tasting the Bonanza Cabernet
• 3:18 Final Thoughts on Value

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

Hey, it's Domain Dave CheapWineFindercom again with another wine review, like we do. This one is the Bonanza Cabernet Sauvignon, lot 7. Bonanza is kind of like the value wine for Caymus, of like the value wine for Caymus. Caymus is a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. For the most part that's been around for 45 years. The Wagner family makes it. Wagner family has been in Napa Valley since the 1880s. One interesting thing about the Wagner family is like each of the kids of the family got their own wine label. Uh, and Joe Wagner started Miomi Pinot Noir which he sold for a third of a billion dollars and everybody else has really good, I mean, they have a nice, a nice well-priced array of brands. Then you got the top of the line camas, which can go over a hundred dollars. Uh, chuck wagner makes the camas, that's his, that's his brand and this wine which I found for, uh, I think, 10.98 but normally sells around 20.

Speaker 1: 1:24

This is lot seven. It's a non-vintage wine. A lot eight is out, so you might be able to find some. Um, you probably won't find. I think I was lucky to find it at that price. But you start, you might be able to start to find a couple of sales to move the 7 out when the 8 is coming in.

Speaker 1: 1:48

One thing about these older vintage wines which I was looking for is like LAT 3. Lat 6 is actually not a non-vintage wine, it's a 2023. But like if there's someone selling LAT 3 for $65, it's a $20-something wine. People are looking for some of these older Lat wines, and why are they not vintage wines? Well, I said 6 was vintage 2023. For some reason, 7 isn't. But the one thing I can pretty much guarantee is it's not to save money. A $20 wine. You're not saving money. And since they've been with Caymus for 45 years and in the Valley for 145 years, they have contacts and friends everywhere. Getting good grapes at a good price is not a problem for them. They know everybody. They have the magic touch when it comes to selling wine. So if you got a contract with them, you got a vineyard owner. You're gonna like that because they're gonna probably have a fit on their hands and keep your contract for a long, long time, which is profit.

Speaker 1: 3:04

So how is the wine? Take a sip. This is a Cabernet Sauvignon that's easy to drink. It's got rich flavors. It's got some textures. It's got different kind of spice, since it was sourced from vineyards throughout California. Each vineyard is going to bring a little bit different to the table, a little bit different characteristics, flavors, textures, whatever. So you're going to get a wine that's far more complex than if it was just a single vineyard, sometimes depending on the vineyard, and that's what you're getting here. You're getting a lot of different flavors. It's crowd-pleasing, it's got good, there's gonna be chocolates, there's gonna be vanilla in there, but it's gonna be balanced. They're known for having fruit-forward wines, but this is a balanced wine.

Speaker 1: 4:05

The alcohol is only 13.3. The more alcohol you get, the more sugar you get, and that's not much, for today you can find 14 and 15% alcohol in wine. So I'm going to take another sip and it sips really easy, really easy, and there's a touch of complexity to it. Every sip might be a little bit different. You know there's some wines that keep evolving in your glass. We're not quite there with this one, but it does do enough changes that it is interesting.

Speaker 1: 4:47

Yeah, this is a nice, easy-to-drink Cabernet Sauvignon. You should be able to find it for under $20. It's made by the same guy who makes the expensive Caymus, which I'm always fond of Every time I see a high-end winery make a value-priced wine. Yeah, that's fine. It's like a Ferrari made a Honda Civic. They don't, but you know, anytime that happens I'm all for it.

Speaker 1: 5:18

And I never had Bonanza before and didn't really know what it was. Start to look into it. What I found out it was is a pretty good wine. You know, it used to be non-vintage wines I would stay away from, but not anymore. People are doing non-vintage because they're looking for something very intentional and they found different vineyards to give it to them. So this is a good wine. This is the Bonanza Cabernet Sauvignon Latte 7. I like it. It's easy to drink, it's got great flavor and it's kind of a value price wine. So there you go. Keep it cheap. This is domain dave. Cheap wine findercom like us, really like your podcast and adios, I'll talk to you in a couple days. I uh, keep it cheap.