Wine Tasting: Cabernet Sauvignon

The sub-$20 bracket

Ah, Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine that Napa is most famous for, and the grape that Bordeaux made famous. Thanks to all those who made it to this, only the second tasting of 2017. The crowd was smaller than usual, but that didn't stop us from opening more bottles than usual!

The big lessons for me were: (1) we drink California Cabernet too young (I've said this before); and (2) you really can't beat the French when it comes to this grape. 

We began with 5 bottles under $20. In this set, I thought the French really cleaned up, demonstrating why they are so hard to beat, even at this price point. But the Californian entrant had quite a few fans, and all of these were perfectly drinkable, with a special value award to the $12 bottle from Chile. As much a testament to the efficiencies of modern containerized shipping logistics as to wine-making!

The $35 and up bracket

The remaining bottles ranged from $35 to $70, all from California with the exception of one from Australia. Most delightful to me was the Sonoma bottle from 1980 that was still showing beautifully (we drink California Cabernet too young!). Other stand-outs for me were the Australian (I bought two more bottles) and the 1997 Martin Ray (thanks, Orion, for contributing it!).

Since we didn't finish any of these, I also got to taste them again the next day, after nearly 24 hours open in the bottle. Amazingly, they were all still good, and some were much better. The Grgich, in particular, was transformed, suddenly seeming much more like a Bordeaux wine, having shed most of its California fruit-driven opulence and settled into a much more focused wine. The 37 year-old Kenwood was also still drinking beautifully. The Terra Valentine, which I had hoped would improve, did not (perhaps because I left it in the decanter overnight, rather than in the bottle). And among the inexpensive bottles, the La Fleur Peyrabon showed very well the next day. 

A few more notes below, my favorites in bold.

1. 2013 Concha y Toro Marqués de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto (originally $20, on sale for $12): Actually, 93% Cabernet Sauvingon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Syrah, and 1% Petit Verdot.  Not particularly interesting or memorable, but perfectly drinkable, which is something of a miracle at $12 all the way from Chile. 90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate; 91 points James Suckling.
2. 2015 Smith & Hook Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon ($15): this one was popular with the crowd, with an earthy nose, charming core of sweet fruit, and good body. I preferred the French options, but that's just me. 93 points Wine Enthusiast.
3. 2014 La Fleur Peyrabon, Pauillac ($18, previously $25): As with all Bordeaux wines, this is a blend: 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot. Still young, but already more interesting than any of the non-French sub-$20 options. Earthy nose, lots of tannins, good acid, this is a food wine for sure. Drank beautifully the next day, too, showing a bit more relaxed side -- a perfect brunch wine. 92 points Wine Enthusiast.
4. 1999 Lanessan, Haut-Médoc ($20): another Bordeaux blend: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. It's a testament to K&L Wines that you can march in there today and get a 1999 Bordeaux wine for $20. This was lovely, more gentle than the 15 years younger #3, showing what age does to tannins. But in the final analysis, I thought it was a bit thin and lacking in body, making me prefer #3.
5. 2015 Wines Of Substance Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($15): Our only Washington state representative of the evening. Perfectly nice, but outclassed by #2 at the same price, I thought. 92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.
6. 2012 Leeuwin "Art Series" Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River Western Australia ($40; Elsewhere $50+): Our sole representative from Down Under, I thought this was fantastic, especially at the $40 sale price (still available at K&L). The opposite of the typical California  style, this one was all about high-toned fruit and focus. In fact, it reminded me a little of the reserved, high-toned character of the famous Ridge Monte Bello cabs. Good acid should make it pair well with a wide range of food. This is siginficantly better than any $40 California cab that I can think of, and a nice illustration of the values you can find in Australia. 97 points James Suckling; 96 points James Halliday.
7. 2010 Grgich Hills "Estate" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($60): a classic name in California cabernet, the Grgich is made from fruit sourced from all over Napa Valley. Despite having what I thought was perhaps the best nose of the evening, I was initially unimpressed, marking it down as typical overdone California cab, with too much fruit, too much opulence, not enough acid, not enough balance. And for $60! BUT, the next day, this wine was transformed, settling down to deliver much of what the nose promised. Tentative lesson: wait 10 more years, and this might be fantastic. 91 points Wine Enthusiast; 91 points Wine Spectator.
8. 1980 Kenwood "Artist Series" Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($50): The "artist series" was Kenwood's top bottling for many years. Because it never became famous, and is no longer made, I managed to score a half dozen of these at auction in 2014 for $41 a bottle. After 37 years, this wine is still lovely and an object lesson in "we drink California cab too young." Smooth, complex, still holding some acid, this would be perfect with a simple roast chicken or a beef tenderloin. Remarkably, it was still drinking well the next day, too. It's not getting any better at this stage, but it will still be destroying $40 bottles of Napa cab for years to come.
9.  2008 Camiana "Blue Hall Vineyards" Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ($45, Previously $70): This one was big, with strong notes of coffee and cocoa. Could work well with braised lamb shanks or even BBQ. Intriguing for $45, absurd for $70. It came together a bit better the next day. 93 points Wine Enthusiast.
10.  1997 Martin Ray Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon ($60): Again, a demonstration that 20 years really makes a difference on these California cabs. I thought this had lots of the integration and secondary characteristics that I liked in the Kenwood, but with a bit more of the traditional cabernet grip. Lovely wine. 95 points Wine Spectator.
11.  2010 Terra Valentine "Estate" Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon ($35): This one presented as way too young, closed down, with lots and lots of tannins (this was the one in the decanter). But look what my notes were in 2014 when we had this last: "the first of what I thought of as the three sweetest wines of the evening, this did get better and more interesting the next day, so perhaps age will redeem it. But right now, it's too sweet and clumsy." Wow, what a contrast, and illustration of how wines change, even over just a few years. This is one that would be fascinating in another 10 years.
12.  2009 Hidden Ridge Vineyards "55% Slope" Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon ($50): This was the blockbuster of the evening, with terms like "rich and full-bodied" seeming like understatements. A favorite for several who clearly prefer the broad-shouldered style. I will admit that this could be great in the right context, but this just didn't taste like a cabernet to me. But good, and exactly the right bottle to finish on.