TN: I Guess I Just Don’t Get It

[sdr]

Notes from a tasting a few months ago.

I GUESS I JUST DON’T GET IT - Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (2/4/2020)

The host for this month’s tasting selected 2005 California Cabernet Sauvignon as his theme. Like most in the group, he loves the wines and wanted to display them at what he considered full maturity. All the wines were in excellent condition and were double decanted several hours in advance.

• 2005 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
  I like a touch of mint in my wine, but this is ridiculous, even for the eucalyptus loving Martha’s. No tannin, barely hanging together. If you can wipe the Crest off your lips, it’s halfway decent but no more. (88 pts.)
• 2005 Bond St. Eden - USA, California, Napa Valley
  There’s some dark berry fruit in there. Sweet and ripe but simple. Decent wine but if you are a Harlan seeker it’s not showing any excitement. (88 pts.)
• 2005 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Backus Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
  I like that instead of a monolithic fruit lollipop there’s a sense of dirt. Clean dirt but anything to interrupt the parade of Fruit Loops in this series is welcome. In addition, it actually improved with air. (90 pts.)
• 2005 Switchback Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Peterson Family Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Not bad at all and by far the most modestly priced of the twelve 2005 California Cabernet Sauvignons in the tasting. There’s a tasty black licorice note and it’s not trying to wack you into submission like some of the others. (89 pts.)

• 2005 Merus Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Sweet and boring, not much to say. (87 pts.)
• 2005 Dominus Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley
  My slight wine of the night for the reds but far from a consensus of the group (I don’t think there was one). The genuine layered feel and complexity on nose and palate could have fooled me into thinking Bordeaux, not surprising considering Mr. Pétrus puts his picture on the label. The only wine tonight that tempted me into a second sip. But not exactly expressing the soul of Napa if that’s what you seek. (92 pts.)
• 2005 Joseph Phelps Insignia - USA, California, Napa Valley
  It has good concentration but the alcohol seems even higher than the 14.5% it is. Reasonably fresh and powerful so I can understand why it is so popular. (90 pts.)
• 2005 Peter Michael Les Pavots - USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley
  The black color is suitably dramatic. Intense with blackberry and current. Slight tannins give it some structure. I don’t mind drinking this. (91 pts.)

• 2005 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection - USA, California, Napa Valley
  On the positive side, it is deep and rich. For me though it’s just too fruity and lacking structure. While objectively it’s not a bad wine, it shows just what mature Napa wine doesn’t have, namely an iota of complexity. (88 pts.)
• 2005 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select - USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
  Another highly esteemed mature Napa Cabernet that lacks energy and distinctiveness. Drinkable of course, but why do collectors age wines like this if there is no reward for their patience? (87 pts.)
• 2005 Hundred Acre Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon The Ark Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Ripe, showy and concentrated. Pretty good actually but doesn’t stand out in this lineup except for the price. (88 pts.)
• 2005 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon RBS Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
  My contemporaneous note only contains one word: “blah.” (88 pts.)

• 1946 Bodegas Toro Albala Don PX Convento Selección - Spain, Andalucía, Montilla-Moriles
  Exotic and very special. Thick as EVOO. Justly sweet yet not cloying. Distinct from port, Madeira or Tokaji in its combination of over ripe raisins and relatively fresh plum. Too overpowering for more than an ounce but not because of sugar, acidity or alcohol, just because of the concentration that quickly fills the tank. It seems like it could go )n forever. Is this the best surviving wine of vintage 1946 from anywhere? (94 pts.)

Only I and one other guy, both long time Bordeaux enthusiasts, were disappointed by how these wines showed and the others who thoroughly enjoyed them thought they were reliable representations of their type. As often happens at our tastings, the dessert wine proved to be by far the most electrifying bottle. I glad we don’t all chase the same wines and I will try to keep an open mind about them. I much prefer the Syrah grape as it is interpreted in California.

Stu

[brodway]

Agree on your last comment....tasty Syrah, Zinfandel and funky blends of those 2 are made in California... in various locations

Most of the wines you posted on above have been hyped by Wine Spectator ratings over the years...I was a huge fan of the Phelps Insignia and bought 2 cases of the 1995 vintage at under 50 a bottle....have not owned one since....apparently haven't missed much

[brodway]

That is an interesting WW2 period desert wine....

[William P]

Thanks for the notes Stu. I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't love California Cabs. As a homegrown Californian I lost interest in Cabs after the 1980s. I think I have six bottles of Cali cabs in the cellar. That's not to say there aren't some great Cabs every year from the State. I can appreciate the wines, but I see little reason to cellar them.

Peter (CabFan) usually brings a bottle of Cab that surprises. Still, most California Cabs have style that I don't seem to appreciate for my cellar.

Bill

[Dandersson]

That is an interesting WW2 period desert wine....

More like the year of hope, since the war was over, still very nice and very interesting to drink something that old with so much time gone by while it waited in the bottle.

[Nicklasss]

You're a tough guy Stu. But a genuine BWEer.

Me too, when i want Cabernet, i stick to Bordeaux. For Zin, i go to limited producer in California.

I think i have 2 California Cabernet downstairs. But please, don't tell anybody, we'll keep that secret between us.

Nic

[stefan]

I have a few CA cab to serve to friends who like them. I might buy Phelps Insignia and Dominus if they were $40 or $50 as they are as enjoyable as some Bordeaux in that price range.

[marcs]

You need to try some Togni and some Ridge Monte Bello!

Togni does some amazing wines. Had a 2001 Togni that beat out 2001 Pichon Baron and a 2000 Gruaud for WOTN, and it wasn’t really close.

I also picked up some 2012 Spottswoode a while ago that has been solid — pretty California and not as distinctive as Togni, but solid cut and structure to it. Not a jam bomb and had that lift and appetizing quality from good acidity.

Phelps Insignia always had a bit of a chocolate milk shake quality to it I thought, not worth the price.

[JimHow]

A bottle of Staglin blew me away one, I don’t recall the vintage.
Other than that, I don’t recall being blown away by California like I am by Bordeaux.

[DavidG]

Stu, I like that you call them as you see them.

I used to cellar a lot of Napa cab until I discovered that they don't turn into Bordeaux with time. I sold a lot of it but kept enough to satisfy the occasional desire for that ripe fruit forward profile. As Stefan says they're great to have on hand for friends who like the style.

Prices on most of these got ridiculous years ago so I stopped buying. Even my favorite Napa blockbuster Shafer Hillside. The only one I still buy is Macdonald.

[Blanquito]

Love the notes, Stu! Knowing your tough scores, some of these wines are probably pretty good or better.

For me, every very decade has left cali cab worse. The 70’s had some truly amazing wines, thrilling and unique and many still drinking well today. The 80’s by and large were a step down by there’s still many excellent wines. The 90’s continued the trend of less interest, less character, less age worthiness, but many were and are still excellent.

Since the 1997 vintage though, there’s only a handful of producers in CA making anything worth drinking with Ridge and Togni topping my list for cab based wines.

[jal]

Interesting, Stu. Thank you for posting and for the candid notes. As I have very little experience with California Cabernet produced this century I have a couple of questions if anyone here knows:

Is 2005 a particularly ripe vintage in Napa or is it just your average run of the mill vintage and these producers have all decided to adopt this style of winemaking?

Do subsequent vintages show any change of direction? Any emphasis on a different expression of winemaking? Obviously I'm not asking about the exceptions such as Ridge or Togni but about the majority of Cabernet Sauvignon producers in Napa.

[Dandersson]

I don't generally buy Cabernet from Cal. However, this year I got two wines as a gift Louis Martini Napa Cab ($40) and Chateau du Bousquet 2014 ($20). I preferred the Bordeaux so not really going to run out and buy Cal Cab.

[sdr]

For me, every very decade has left cali cab worse. The 70’s had some truly amazing wines, thrilling and unique and many still drinking well today. The 80’s by and large were a step down by there’s still many excellent wines. The 90’s continued the trend of less interest, less character, less age worthiness, but many were and are still excellent.

Since the 1997 vintage though, there’s only a handful of producers in CA making anything worth drinking with Ridge and Togni topping my list for cab based wines.

The guy who hosted the tasting picked the wines he personally enjoyed the most. My favorite Cal Cabs are Ridge Monte Bello and Dunn Howell Mountain. They are *almost* as good as Bordeaux.

The next time I am the host, in a couple of years if we are able to do gatherings by then, I will be showcasing only old Cal Cabs. I have gradually accumulated examples from 1997 back to 1965 from the names that were in vogue then.

Stu

[AKR]

Sorry to hear that the lineup was not so thrilling.

The names on the surface seem like it should have been pretty nice.

I like some of the wines from region, and buy them in good years. (nice shoutout for Togni there!)

2013 was a year I put away some, and a few in 2010 and 2007 before that.

I've got a bottle of 2001 Ch.St Jean Cinq Cepage standing up for Friday night.

Jal introduced us to that cuvee a couple decades ago!

But I do agree that in general, prices have gone nuts, especially for Napa CS.

[marcs]

For me, every very decade has left cali cab worse. The 70’s had some truly amazing wines, thrilling and unique and many still drinking well today. The 80’s by and large were a step down by there’s still many excellent wines. The 90’s continued the trend of less interest, less character, less age worthiness, but many were and are still excellent.

Since the 1997 vintage though, there’s only a handful of producers in CA making anything worth drinking with Ridge and Togni topping my list for cab based wines.

The guy who hosted the tasting picked the wines he personally enjoyed the most. My favorite Cal Cabs are Ridge Monte Bello and Dunn Howell Mountain. They are *almost* as good as Bordeaux.

The next time I am the host, in a couple of years if we are able to do gatherings by then, I will be showcasing only old Cal Cabs. I have gradually accumulated examples from 1997 back to 1965 from the names that were in vogue then.

Stu

I have never had a Dunn but have wanted to try them for years.

I think Togni and Ridge can be better than some top Bordeaux, or at least do things that Bordeaux can't do while at the same time being as good in terms of structure, complexity, etc. When you have fundamentally different wines from great wine regions it's hard to talk in blanket terms about which is "better" because they scratch a different itch.

[Jay Winton]

Keep in mind Togni trained at Lascombes. My tour of their facility remains a highlight as we were able to ask anything about his wines to Togni himself. I think his wines represent California its best but real Bordeaux patience is required.

[Blanquito]

I've had some wonderful old Dunns, Dominus, Phelps (Eisesle especially, but Insignia and Backus also) and Montelena Estate Cabs. In the next tier down, I've really enjoyed some Forman and Dalla Valle cabs too. But then most of the Cali cabs I've had from the 60's and 70's (or older) have been wonderful, including Peter's (CabFan) incredible Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon 1958 we had in Denver.

For me, there are 3 things going on with Cali Cab that limit their appeal: even the best don't seem to develop the complexity and nuance of Bordeaux; since circa 1997 most of even this short-list of top producers started making modern, overripe, overoaked plonk; pricing for these wines is terrible.

Take Dunn-- in 80's and 90's, these were wonderful old school wines, stern, needing lots of time to age (especially in the 80s), but by the late 90's these became notably softer, rounder, fruit forward. The trend at Montelena and Phelps was far worse, I don't like their wines at all anymore. I still like Dunn's wines, but not nearly as much as of yore. I might still be a buyer of Dominus but for the $300 price tag.

Jacques, I don't think of 2005 as an especially ripe year in Napa. I think these is the type of wine these producers make year-in and year-out.

[AKR]

My feel is that the weather is so cooperative there that 9 out of 10 years it is not a huge difference as to the vintage. There might be a couple years which are a little better of course, but in general, one doesn't have to obsess over the years.

Prices, traffic in the region, and the insanity of hotel rates + lack of development for lodging, all really sting though.

I know I've mentioned it a few times, but if you can live without a fancy label, nor knowing who the vineyard/producer is, I think Cameron Hughes has been putting out some very solid cabs/blends from Napa. I had his 2009 Stags Leap cabs in the last few months and it was solid. I have no idea if it had typicity as I could not tell the difference between SLD or Oakville or whatever, but it was good.

[Blanquito]

Just had a wonderful 1978 Ridge York Creek Cabernet last night. I served it blind, some guessed old world cab, some weren’t so sure. Enthralling for my palate, and now a unicorn wine (a single bottle of the 1980 of this wine just hammered at $236 at K&L).

[Comte Flaneur]

Thanks Stuart for your notes.

In my experience Cabernet Sauvignon needs a dance partner/sparring partner. It is not often interesting or complex on its own, beyond the first couple of glasses.

[Blanquito]

Thanks Stuart for your notes.

In my experience Cabernet Sauvignon needs a dance partner/sparring partner. It is not often interesting or complex on its own, beyond the first couple of glasses.

A fellow wine lover, who is notably skeptical of Bordeaux and mostly loves Spanish wines both old school and new, calls Cabernet Sauvignon the world's finest "blending grape". I think he means it as both a slight and a truth.

I do think Ridge's wines are better, in part, because they almost always blend their cabernet-based wines with merlot, cab franc and petite verdot. And they let the vintage determine the cepage, as in Bordeaux. For example, the terrific 2001 Monte Bello is only 58% cabernet with 36% merlot and 8% petite verdot, while the 2007 is 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc.

That said, the 78 York Creek we had yesterday was 95% cabernet sauvignon.