Per your request

At the request of a friend who was looking for a good deal on a good Cabernet Sauvignon, I began a quest to taste a few sub-$10 wines and offer my take on the best.

Meridian 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve took the cake. It's a medium-bodied wine with great balance and a full flavor. Hints of blackberry, currant and vanilla give way to a smooth, subtle finish that makes this a sure-fire hit with even the more refined palates. Aged for nearly eight months in oak, the wine's tannins give it great balance and texture.

Meridian wines are another product of the Central Coast in California, an area known for producing award-winning wines years after year because of the unique climate that allows the area's grapes to mature more slowly, capturing full flavors and developing unique characteristics that create equally unique wines.