Benziger 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County

Total Wine and More is a chain of big box wine stores with locations in the southeast, California and recently a few other states.   Once before, I wrote about their marketing strategy and how I try to get the best wine for less at their stores.  Total Wine has both name brand wines and wines they consider as "winery direct" wines.  The winery direct wines are wines that are more or less exclusive to Total Wine thus the store seems to have higher profit margins on these wines.  Winery direct wines are often made by well known wineries disguised under a different name and produced to meet a certain price point.   Total Wine would like to entice you into the store with the name brand wines but then divert you to a winery direct wine.  The winery direct wines are on the middle eye-level shelves in the store and the name brand wines are on the top and bottom shelves.  The most popular name brand wines have prices ending in "7" and are exempt from any promotional coupons which are generally $10 up to $20 off each $100 purchase.  When I receive a $20 off coupon, I search the store for $100 worth of name brand wine that I have been wanting to buy with prices not ending in "7".  Using this method, I was able to buy the Benziger 2011 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon for $13.87.  The regular price for the wine is $16.99 which is already a very good price.  I doubt that anyone, anywhere, can buy this for less.

The Benziger Winery is one of my favorites because of their commitment to sustainable growing techniques.  The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon is grown on certified sustainable benchland vineyards in Sonoma County and aged 16 months in oak.  The result is an intensely colored and flavored wine with berry, plum and spice notes and an alcohol content of 14.5%. 

SC Wine Joe rting = 90 points.