No claims to be the all time tasting champion, and most of you probably have a lot more experience than me. I’ve run the gamut in terms of styles and locations, old world and new, north and south hemispheres…I’ve had many that I thought were really nice until I saw the price. But even still, none of the wines well over $100 and of an appropriate age (20-40 years) have given me a “holy hell” moment. Many would get a personal mark of 8/10, but so did a $23 Chinon…
Caveats are that I have not had any 1st growth bordeaux, although have had a fair sampling of 2 through 5, and really quite enjoy the right bank wines (have had several holy hell right bank wines). I tend to prefer my bigger wines from the old world – N Rhone syrahs, S Rhone grenache, Loire Cab Francs, Etnas.
So maybe someone can point me to a wine or two that would actually make me understand the willingness to spend hundreds on these various bottles!
Or perhaps instead you can convince me that it is entirely okay to have around 500 bottles and have less than 5 cab sauvs in the lot?
For me, I enjoy the occasional napa cab with red meat. I rarely reach for cabernet as a cocktail wine, as some do. I’ve had some pretty great cabs this year; although the best of them was a 2007 Tor Cimarossa, at a friend’s bachelor party at Fogo de Chao. It paired perfectly with the different cuts of meat. While I enjoy other wine with food as well, I find I don’t reach for cabs if I’m just looking to crack a glass and wind down.
theres no reason you can’t have 500 wines and only 5 cabs! they’re YOUR wines!
the fact that you like right banks meshes pretty well with your experience, those are typically merlot dominant instead of cab. totally fits with what you’re saying about not having a palate that enjoys cab
Sounds like you think you have to like cab to what? Many knowledgeable folk hate the grape.
If I “don’t get” the color orange should I care? No
Be comfortable in your own palate.
I hope you meant that in jest, otherwise we as a community are not as welcoming of different points of view as we should be…
Drink whatever makes you happy. I personally like Cabernet, but I like mine with balance and structure, and favor wines made in a style that’s not too ripe and sweet. So I find many Bordeaux, Cali Cab, and Italian Bordeaux blends that meet that profile. Others like “big”, high-alcohol Cabs. To each his own…
What aspects of wine an individual likes varies dramatically from one person to another. Same with dislikes. Being indifferent to something someone else finds thrilling is normal. You can probably find threads here with people discussing what varieties people don’t like and it’s all over the map and a bit surprising, like how many don’t like Pinot Noir. It’s not rare for someone to not be thrilled by most Cabs. I know some of “those people”. So, don’t worry about it, and it’s probably not worth putting much effort into. But, since you like Loire CF, I’d guess there’s some CS out there that’s more in that style (not trying too hard, but also not boring) that you’d like. Santa Clara Valley, Monterrey County, Santa Cruz Mountains…
Don’t worry about it, says the grower/owner of a Napa Valley Cabernet!
People like beer. I can’t drink one. Viognier? Can’t even put my nose to the stem, never mind drink a glass. German wines? Nope. Never met one I like. But there are people I know (here on the Board and otherwise) who really love those wines, and these are people whose palates I respect. We just have different palates.
As someone who likes a lot of different wines (Right bank Bordeaux? left bank? German rieslings? Red Burgundy? White? Cali cabs? Barolo? Yes to all!) I often think it would be a lot kinder to my wallet if I liked fewer. I do think it’s interesting that right bank has rung your bell but not left. The ways of taste are mysterious!
The Bordeaux 1ers don’t have an exclusive on ‘best’ though they are consistently pretty great.
Merrill - speaking of yummy cabernet, I’m decanting a 2010 Black Cat … looking forward to it!
I agree with others here. I am not a big fan of Rhône wines. I have a friend who is not wild about Champagne or Sauternes. So, enjoy what you enjoy.
But to answer your question, some of my favorite Cabernet based wines include Ducru Beaucaillou, Palmer, Montrose, Ridge Monte Bello and Chateau Montelena. If you have had any of these from a good vintage at 20+ years and said meh, then just go on - at least for right now. All of our palates change. At one point in my life, I did not really like Champagne. Now, I love the really good ones.
What you think of Syrah/shiraz? If you don’t enjoy them I wouldn’t spend the money on them. If you have not tried Anderson’s Conn Valley wines I would at least try and seek one out. Not saying it will change your opinion but my favorite Cab producer for the money.
Cabernet used to impress me enough that I bought old half bottles from restaurants to revisit the Cabs of the late 60’s and early 70’s. Silver Oak started my journey into wine and the revisit of earlier Cabs cemented it. Got a bottle of Leonetti Cab and was totally impressed by its superior weight and viscosity. Then jam happened. Aussie Shiraz, Tensley Syrah, Elyse Zins and Turley everything. I still lean on the heavier more fruit forward wines, but long for the old world Cabs of the past. The closest thing I’ve found is the Gibbs. Low in alcohol, subtle but evident fruit and excellent with steak or lighter fare meals. Could be overtaken by garlic or red sauce pasta and obviously not a wine to accompany Mexican and most Asian food.
If I choose my wine by food it might be different than my preference of wine to drink for enjoyment or casually. But before you make the decision Cab doesn’t impress you in some form, you have to try the varieties available from different states and different countries, PLUS, the difference of who the winemaker is and the style.
Let’s see. We had a Hahn Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir for warm up and the wine for Teriyaki Chicken tonight could range from El Nido Clio or Triga to Three Rivers or Woodward Canyon Cab. Doesn’t have to impress, just compliment in our house.
If you feel like throwing some money at the problem, then try an old Philip Togni.
.
.
And if you honestly truly in your heart of hearts don’t like aged Togni, then you can call it quits.
How many hundreds of wines of a type he does not really like does he have to buy and taste before he can stop wasting his money and time. Based on your post, it seems like hundreds. Does not seem terribly realistic.
Yep. I mostly agree. At one point, a few decades ago, my cellar was probably 90% cab or cab mixed wines (left bank, Bordeaux). I just checked, I’m down to 16%. And pure cab is under 1%.
Lots of 8/10 experiences but never the 9/10 or 10/10
I would say that there’s real consistency there. While you can have a 3/10 pinot noir experience from a good producer/good vintage/good vineyard, rarely do you get under a 6/10 cab experience from the same.
I think the point here is that this variety - and in combination with other Bordeaux varieties - is by far the most widely consumed and talked about variety here in the US and arguably around the world. It dominates discussions of both wine geeks and casual wine drinkers alike, and when folks are ‘uncertain’ about what to order, this is always one of the go to’s that people fall back on.
I enjoy the variety from time to time but find it does not offer me the ‘same complexity’ as other varieties do in general. There are plenty of exceptions to this, and opening up and sharing a decades old Cab or cab-dominated Bordeaux is always a treat.
As with everything else in life, to each their own . . .
So, don’t worry about it, and it’s probably not worth putting much effort into. But, since you like Loire CF, I’d guess there’s some CS out there that’s more in that style (not trying too hard, but also not boring) that you’d like. Santa Clara Valley, Monterrey County, Santa Cruz Mountains…