Wine Tasting: Napa Cabs, $40 v. $100

The mission: determine the difference between $40 and $100 bottles of Napa cabernet sauvignon (under $40, you're better off buying your cab from someplace else). Chief difference: $40 are drinkable now, $100 bottles should wait for 10 years or so (with certain exceptions -- the Silver Oak is meant to be drunk young, the Chateau Montelena needed time). Other difference: the $100 bottles are memorable, even epic, while $40 bottles are simply very good.

Thanks to everyone who came, and especially those who ponied up the surcharge to get Jim to open his Blankiet. Wow, what a wine. Favorites in bold.

1. 2006 Napanook Napa Valley Red Wine ($40): 87% Cab, rest Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. The softest, most approachable wine of the night, very pleasant, balanced, good wine. RP 92 pts, WE 91 pts.


2. 1997 Robert Mondavi Reserve Napa Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5L) ($160): my favorite (excluding the Blankiet), a wonderful testament to the magic of age on well-made cab, all sophistication and restraint, brilliant structure, long finish, still young, kept getting better in the glass all night long. Fantastic. I'm buying another magnum. ST 93pts, RP 92pts, WA 92 pts.


3. 2002 Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($36): blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (83%), Petit Verdot (8%), Merlot (6%), and Cabernet Franc (3%), a favorite from a previous tasting, but came across this time as too sweet, fruit forward. The Groth Reserve demonstrates how to get this style right. WS 92 pts.


4. 2005 Groth Napa Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (was $140, sale $90): fantastic example of a generous, fruit driven version of a Napa cab, full mouthfeel, but well made, balanced, still young. Buying more. WS 94pts.


5. 2005 Chateau Montelena Napa Cabernet Sauvignon ($42): the only $40 bottle that really needed some age, nice structure at the start, but unpleasant finish. Has the spirit of real Napa cab (unlike some of the other $40 bottles), however, and likely to be much better in 5-10 years. Good value. RP 90 pts.


6. 2006 Caymus Special Selection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (was $160, sale $100): OK, very weird, very young, super green on the nose, lots of acid, did steadily improve after multiple decantings. WS 94pts, CG 92pts.


7. 2005 Hidden Ridge Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon (Was $70, sale $40): our sole Sonoma entry, but a delight and surprise, wonderful balance of structure and fruit, my favorite of the $40 bottles. Buying more. WE 95pts.


8. 2002 Beaulieu BV Georges de Latour Private Reserve Napa Cabernet Sauvignon ($99): tasted a couple years ago, this has gotten better with time, but suffers against the Groth by having a bit too much (as Jim put it) bay leaf and menthol. WE 92pts.


9. 2004 Silver Oak Napa Cabernet Sauvignon ($85): perfectly nice, soft, approachable, but nothing special. Reminiscent of a perfectly nice Merlot, would be great at half the price, but embarrassed in the company of the other expensive bottles. ST 90 pts.


10. 2005 Ruston "La Maestra" Cabernet Sauvignon (Was $50, sale $30): 60% cab, 20% merlot, 12% cab franc, 8% petit verdot, the best value of the night, excellent balance, drinking well now, like the Napanook but with more to offer and $10 less (on sale anyway). RP 92 pts.


11. 2003 Blankiet Paradise Hills Napa Cabernet Sauvignon ($150): those who waited and paid Jim his surcharge were rewarded with a remarkable 100% cab, super concentrated, massive oyster shell on the start, deep long fruit, lingering finish, this is the polar opposite of the Mondavi style, but delicious (and I found some bottles for $110 that I'm buying). RP 95+, WA 95 pts, IWC 94 pts.