¡Battle of the Gas Station wines! Parte Dos:

­¡I love Bronco Wines!  I served Montpelier at the ATL airport as the house wines, and it was consistently a great value.

(Dang I am gettin' no love outta this computer today.  I took my own picture but it won't load.)

Anyway, I was thrilled to stumble upon this offering at the U-Stop Phillips 66 Just off of State Highway 55-F (sounds like something that gets you out of the Army) north of Hickman, Nebraska.

Yes, that is an actual town...

Today's Gas Station Wine Contestant is Crane Lake Cabernet, by the aforementioned Bronco Wines--the fourth largest wine producer in the USA at this writing.  That is not a negative for our purposes--we are looking for affordability, consistency, and approachability--especially in this Contest.

NOT--Jeeves the Butler/Mr. Snooty Pants.  (Though he did have some great hangover cures, e.g., a coddled egg...)

This wine was incredibly priced, at $6.59.

I meant to only taste it--but I ended drinking most of the bottle.

You CAN really get enjoyable, drinkable wines, for cheap in a gas station!!  Who knew you didn't need to fly to Bordeaux??  If that "Day of the Jackal" French dude comes to hunt me down...I am ready for him...

Here are the stats on Crane Lake:

Year:  2012

State;  California

Appellations:  Says, "Napa and Sonoma"--I believe it.

Vintner:  Crane Lake Vineyards

Varietal:  Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cork:  Natural.

Tannins:  Moderate to high.

Viscosity:  Medium to high,

Halo:  Yes; lavender.

Oak:  Think I'm getting some..or some vanilla from somewhere...

Finish; Three seconds, with tannic after-kicker.

Notes: blackberry jam, coffee, aforementioned vanilla, cherry pie, maybe toast and tobacco.

Quaffability:  Incredible.

Bottom line:

Four-and-a-half hammers.

Footnote: Close between this and the Aussie shiraz below.  Help me out in Comments if you want.  Hey--this is "Guerilla Sommelier," not "No peaking-Over-the-Shoulder Sommelier!  ;)

Four and a half HAMMERS.  Very good...