1997 Monterey Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Monterey County ($8).

This well-made, medium-bodied cabernet offers a lot of class for a very reasonable price. It shows a good depth of flavor, with ripe blackberry fruit and hints of chocolate and smoked meat. It's a supple wine that's ready to drink now but has enough backbone to last a few years. It shows no signs of heavy-handed processing -- a rarity in this price range for California wines. The winery's suggested retail price is $6.99, but that might be optimistic for East Coast stores.