I wonder about the 20 year curve...

Just wondered if anyone on the board has thought about doing a horizontal of mid 90’s California Cabernets lately? I have a wine club to host coming up soon and have a fair stash of wines from the 95-96 era to sample. Since Parker is doing his 10 year retrospective, wonder what surprises are in store for those mid '90s wines that represented the real flowering of the cabernet production methods that are common today. (ie. increasing concentration by saginee, lowering yields, discovery of unique sits like Oakville Cross and lower hillside sites). It was also just before the “bigger is better” (and much more expensive!!) mentality took over with Parkerization really taking off.

Any suggestions or recent experiences? I am guessing that long time collectors will have a lot of similar wines in our cellars as there were not nearly the number of tiny producers out there in the 90’s that there are today. Just think of the interesting questions, like, is Dunn Cabernet from the era starting to become drinkable? Are those Cult Cabs still getting better?

I had a beautiful 1995 Montelena yesterday. Still quite young but drinking brilliantly.

Yes, that Montelena was excellent – probably the only mature Montelena I’d ever had where the tannins had mellowed to the point that the wine was really pleasurable.

You still owe me a list of all the wines that were opened.

Watch your e-mail.

The 1978 Sonoma was really good earlier this year.

I have had both a 1995 Montelena and Laurel Glen in the last year or so and they were both excellent.

Thanks,
Ed