Cathy Corison would need to be on the list, as well as Heitz (though I do not know if things will change, based on new ownership here the last year or two). If the Tanbark Hill bottling counts as entry level, then Philip Togni can go on the list as well. For my palate, I would have to take Mondavi off the list based on the most recent examples I have tasted (admittedly a couple of years ago now), as they are much more spoofulated in style since the family sold out (though maybe this is swinging back again in the most recent releases?). If we can expand the old school beyond Napa, Mount Eden and Ridge certainly qualify, and Mount Eden’s Domaine Eden cabernet has been a ridiculously great value for several vintages now. Fun question!
Some of these producers are really not “old school” these days.
I would say from your list Frog’s Leap is really the only one I would still consider “old school” . I would also add Corson, Dunn, White Rock, Togni, Mayacamas, Smith Marrone and still, to a certain degree, Heitz and Montelena. If you remove the 20+ year track record, I would add Ashes and Diamonds and Matthiasson, both making old-school cabs and blends under 14% abv.
Cathy Corison is NOT what I would call “Old School”.
I’m not saying her wines aren’t tasty - they are indeed very, very tasty - but they have nowhere near the kinda structure I would want to see in an “Old School” wine.
In fact, I don’t perceive much in the way of any structure whatsoever in a Corison wine.
Not sure the 20-year thing matters. Over 20-years you have different winemakers and there is no guarantee the one there now is as good as whoever was there in 1999. Also, not sure that many of the listed are “old school.” Most have alcs in the 14.1-14.9% range and that’s just the label! Plus, not all are estate fruit and if they are changing sources over time, the 20-years does not really apply.
As an alternative, how about 25-years of winemaking experience, 15+ with their own brand and estate fruit for a least some of the bottlings. And also, not usually over 15% alcohol.
Forman Cabernet Napa, $115
Corison Napa Valley $95
Drinkward Peschon Cabernet $95
Philip Togni Tanbark Hill Cabernet $70
Shafer 1.5 Cabernet (formerly Napa Valley) $90
Ridge Cabernet Estate $70.
By coincidence, I opened a '14 Mt. Veeder cab tonight. Damn, if it didn’t taste like cab! I bought some after tasting it blindly two years or so ago. It was standout then, and a great value at ~$40. Recently I found some for ~$37.
This is straight-across-the-plate Napa cab, though I didn’t feel the '14 had a long life ahead. It seems to lack a little concentration, but who can complain when you can drink it with pleasure five years after the vintage. And it tastes like cab!
I know what you mean that her wines aren’t “classic.” They don’t have the lushness or flesh that classic Napa had, even the more restrained ones of the 70s and 80s. But I wouldn’t accuse her wines of lacking structure. They have a lot of acid, in particular.
Reminds me of a dinner that I had several years ago at Capital Grille. The first two wine selections I made were out of stock, and the Somm recommended Frogs Leap as something that might appeal, and he offered it to me gratis. I said what the heck. And boy did I like it. And yet, I did not buy more for home. Need to circle back with this reco. Enjoyed reading that other thread.
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