Cali Cab with eight years of age for this price? Usually unheard of, but here it is. Hawk Crest has a great pedigree: it’s made by Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, who shot to stardom when their 1973 S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon triumphed over top Bordeaux wines at the momentous 1976 Judgment of Paris. The cabernet fruit comes primarily from cool, hilly sites in Lake County, just north of Napa. Red and black fruit, subtle grilled bell pepper, cigar box and graphite complexity are the hallmarks of a nicely evolved, harmonious cabernet. Hawk Crest deserves a large-bowled glass, and a perfect roast of beef. It’s simple: do not miss out.

• California