Your opinion of Kobalt Napa Cabs?

I have the opportunity to pick up a few bottles of the '07 vintage but have never tried the wine. I’d appreciate some input from others about the quality of this cab. I have a fairly eclectic palate. I used to buy Ch. Montelena and Laurel Glen but also Caymus. I enjoy Jamet Cote-Rotie but also Amon Ra. I’m looking for quality at under $100. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Rick Murphy

Mark Herold makes it using similar sources he did for his old Merus wines. If you liked those you will probably like Kobalt. Much of the fruit comes from Coombsville, so it is ripe but not the style of fruit you would get from Rutherford or Oakville. The wines are powerful, with black and blue fruit aromas and ample structure. I’ve actually not tried the 07, but if you can find some 2003, you will really like it. That one is rockin right now.

Thanks for the reply, Roy! I think I’ll go for it. Can you say more about how the fruit from this source differs from Oakville and Rutherford as you have intrigued me? Any other under $100 recommendations you would care to make? I’m badly out of date in regard to good Napa cab.

Rick

Conn Valley

Actually, I do not think there is any Conn Valley in Kobalt, but lots of Coombville. From my brief chats with Mark, I think he likes the fact that heat spikes are lessened considerably there, your hang time can be very long, and you get ripeness in average to warm years at lower brix levels than mid-valley. Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena are juicy, rounder and sexier while Coombsville is more structured, geared to the blue/black fruit spectrum and to my mind, denser in mouthfeel. Two other wineries that make really good Cabs from Coombsville are “Ghost Horse” and Realm’s “Farella Vineyard.” I do not think all of the sources for Kobalt are from Coombsville though, they pepper it with some warmer sources here and there.

Note: I make my wine in the facility where Kobalt is made, so have gleemed a little here and there.

Thanks again. That’s just what I wanted to know.

Rick

Actually Roy I was responding to this question… “Any other under $100 recommendations you would care to make?”

Thanks for clarifying, Bob. I’ll add Conn Valley (I’m assuming that’s Anderson’s Conn Valley) to the list.

Rick

So is the 2001!!

As is the 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, & 2006 (not had the 07 yet)
A nice run. Great wine but certainly ‘not your father’s Cabernet’, as can be a bit polarizing to the lovers of classic cab. Count me as a fan. I am building a vertical of all those above for a dinner sometime later in the year.

Thanks, Jay and Mike. Do you have any other top recommendations in the $100 Nap cab stakes? I haven’t bought them in a long time. I’m OK with the big and rich or the austere style. I’m just interested in top examples for the money.


Rick

Hi Jay, in my estimation there is great value well below that mark, but I will answer the question asked.

Outpost True is awesome, as is many of the Karl Lawrence Reserves when they fall below that mark as they do from time to time.
You can usually find Buccella (similar style to the Kobalt) as well, which is another great one. I think you should try some Jones Family Estate and don’t be shy to try the Sisters bottling. Lots of good info here. The Sisiters is one of the best values around ($50 all in). Going lower in price I like Oakville East Exposure and Oakville Ranch. Mike Hirby’s Relic Rockledge is incredible. Worth the try and usually found for 80ish. Older Realms come up at auction from time to time for $50-$90, just don’t bid against me…

Just an FYI: I DON’T make wine anywhere in the valley…

I have a ton of Kobalt and love it. Been buying since the first vintage in 2001. One of my absolute favorite Napa cabs and as stated previously , I do believe Kobalt exclusively uses Coombsville fruit, but they did change some sources for the 08 and later vintages. They did not renew a couple of vineyard contracts from what I understand.

Mike mentioned Buccella. If you like Kobalt, you will like Buccella’s previous vintages as they sourced the same vineyard for grapes and up to the 2004 or 2005 vintage, Mark H. was making the wines. I tasted both 2004’s side by side and in all honesty to me, it tasted like the same exact wine.

Buccella has had its challenges keeping winemakers. There is no consistency in style from one vintage to the next and for that reason, I have abandoned that label after the 07 vintage.

Kobalt needs a LONG decant time 4 hours min. It is a huge wine, very fruit forward, but has been age worthy and the 01-03 are singing and have years of life left to further improve. I would decant the 01 at least 2 hours. 04 and later vintages, I give it 4-6 hours at the very min.

For under $100, I would look to O’Shaughnessy’s Mt. Veeder bottling at around $90. It is excellent. The Howell Mt for around $65 is a good value as well. The 2002 Mt Veeder bottle was one of my favorite cab’s in 2010.


I have also been impressed with the last few vintages of Chappellet Pritchard Hill Bottling - I believe that is about $100.

I also like Kamen out of Sonoma. Mark Herold makes that wine and for around $65, it is a nice bottle of wine if you like Herolds style , but its at a lower price point.

Below 100 in various styles:

Tor Kenward Mast Vyd or Cimarossa Vyd
Rudius
Rivers Marie
Conn Valley Reserve and Eloge
Pott
Myriad, 12c, Quivet
Bevan Cellars 2nd Label
Larkmead
Lewelling

Thanks, Alan and John. More labels for me to research!

Rick

What is Bevan Cellars 2nd Label? Don’t think I knew there was one…

I agree with Chapellet and Kamen.

Also check out (for below the $100):
Cloudview (if you can still find it-it’s now owned by Mondavi and going into Continuum)
Joseph Kent “Gris Gris”
Leviathan (particularly the '08)
St Supery Elu
Inherit the Sheep
Liparita
and did some one already say O’Shaughnessy?

Ontogeny is Bevan’s 2nd label.

Cloudview (if you can still find it-it’s now owned by Mondavi and going into Continuum)

And whiles you are at it, 05, 06, 07 Versant Cab… the other part of what is now Continuum.

Mike - what are you saying the price of Oakville East Exposure is? Lower than $50? Really?