Cabernet Sauvignon is a natural cross of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, first identified in seventeenth-century Bordeaux. Expect grip: this is a wine built on tannin and acidity as much as on fruit. Paso Robles has become California's most convincing alternative to Napa for Cabernet, helped by limestone soils and dramatic day-to-night temperature swings. The 2021, under the Halter Ranch Paso Robles label. Give it thirty minutes open before pouring. Pairs with grilled red meat, aged cheddar, and anything off a charcoal grill.