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