Tag Archives: Sonoma County

Ammunition Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

3 September 2026 By in Red Wine, Wine Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma County, California

Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot, and Cabernet Frank (Percentages not given but Cabernet Sauvignon is likely around 90%)

Purchase Price: $19.99

Wilfred Wong 90, ElsBob 90

ABV 14.2%

A nose of dark fruits and oak. Cherry and cocoa on the palate. A bold full-bodied wine with a nice balance between the tannins and acidity. A long dry finish.

An excellent fine wine at a fair price but not a great price. Current pricing ranges $11-25. If you can find it for $11 buy a truck load.

Through the Grapevine: Ammunition Wines appears to operate as a negociant/grower‑partner winery rather than an estate producer. Instead of farming their own vineyards, they source grapes from multiple family‑owned growers across Sonoma County, selecting lots that fit their stylistic goals from each vintage. Once the fruit is purchased, the winemaking is handled in‑house: they ferment, age, blend, and bottle the wine themselves, shaping it into a consistent house style that isn’t tied to a single vineyard site but to their own winemaking approach

(Note: their web page lists the ABV at 14.5% but the label has it at 14.2%. The label percent is the legal value because it appears on the TTB‑approved bottle label. Wineries often use a rounded or strategically chosen ABV on the label, as long as it falls within legal tolerance. The fact sheet ABV is usually based on the winemaker’s lab measurement and is often closer to the true chemical value. For various reasons, all legal, the winemaker is sticking with the label number.)

Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

2 December 2025 By in Red Wine, Wine Tags: , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma County, California

Cabernet Sauvignon 87%, Merlot 8%, Cabernet Franc 2%, Malbec 2%, Petit Verdot 1%

Purchase Price ~$40 (Gift)

James Suckling 94, Wine & Spirits 92, Robert Parker 90, ElsBob 91

ABV 14.5%

A dense deep ruby with a pale red rim. Full-bodied wine with aromas of cherries, blackberries, with hints of lavender and spice. On the palate, approachable tannins, crisp acidity, and beautiful long finish. A wine made to enjoy with ribeyes and filets.

An excellent fine wine at a slightly elevated price. The wine is hard to find but Beringer still offers it for sale on their website for $24 (half bottle).

Trivia: Knights Valley, originally known as Mallacomes Valley, was granted to José de los Santos Berryessa by the Mexican governor in 1843. In 1853, Thomas B. Knight, a native of Maine and a veteran of the Bear Flag Revolt of 1846, purchased much of Berryessa’s ranch. Knight renamed it Rancho Muristood and planted vineyards, fruit trees, and wheat. Mallacomes Valley gradually became known as Knights Valley. After Knight’s death in 1881, the property passed through numerous hands, and much of the land reverted to small farms and cattle ranches. By the mid‑20th century, viticulture returned when Beringer bought large tracts of land in the valley and initially focused on Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varietals. They released their first Knights Valley wine in 1974.