How Are The 2007 California Cabs Drinking Right Now?

Open? Sluggish? Sleeping? Anyone have recent experiences? Thanks.

I am gonna love this thread.

I will be paying attention as well. I am working on my 06’s right now and in general, I am finding them a bit on the tired side, so I may accelerate consumption and jump right into the 07’s - oh, that would be a real bummer…

I dabbled as they were released and they all said, “Come back in 2020.”

Actually, I lied…

Just last week popped a 2007 Spottswoode to demo it for a friend and it was killer, but too young to die. I would recommend it is a solid buy if there is any at K&L or your favorite purveyor of fine potables.

Really? I assume you drank all your 07’s six years ago.

I too am interested in this topic as I have some '07 Snowden Reserve and Kobalt in the cellar. I haven’t opened any yet, though.

Rick

My notes show 67 tasted and noted on, maybe 20 more never noted. memorable? Maybe 3-5
Not my favorite vintage as vintages go.

We did a 2007 Cab tasting a while back. A few weeks later we did a 2003 Cab tasting. Everyone (12 of us) preferred the 2003 tasting. This spoke volumes to me. I’m just saying.

The Snowden is awesome BTW.

You’ve tasted many more 2007 California cabs than me, but I think I’ve had enough to say that it’s not my favorite, either. Can you - or anyone with a lot of experience - comment on the differences between 2007 and 2012? Is 2012 being touted as a great vintage for the same reasons that 2007 was touted as a great vintage?

I understand that some believe it is an overrated vintage. But are there any thoughts on the OP question?

A year ago, a group of us drank 15 of the Culty and otherwise very pointy 2007 California Cabernets blind, including Screagle, Dana, Colgin, Harlan, Bryant, Schrader, Scarecrow, Abreu, Shafer Hillside, Hundred Acre, et al. You get the picture. My takeaway from the dinner, shared by many, was the sameness of all of the wines. They all smelled and tasted pretty much the same and had the same palate presence. Having tasted many of the wines in the previous year or two individually or in pairs, the results of the dinner reaffirmed my prior impressions. The next day, I directed The Best Celler, who manages and stores my wines, to sell all but a few of my cult and other big ticked California Cabernets. A couple of hundred bottles. Jeff Smith, who owns The Best Cellar and attended the dinner wasn’t the least bit surprised; nor did he advise against it.

To more directly answer the question asked in the OP: They are lush, ripe wines made pretty much in the same style. I find them sweet, overripe, too dense and unrefreshing. I know others around here have different preferences and enjoy this style of wine, so might be pleased that they are so similar. They also taste little different than they have since release. Will they develop and improve as they age? I don’t know and am not willing to bet that they will.

Tired? 2006 wines are just starting to (finally) come around in the last year.

I also tasted the 2007 Dunn Napa and Howell, and didn’t find the over fruited aspects others have mentioned…but I may tend to seek out the more austere members of a given vintage.

No cults but generally drinkable now. Not sure if they would improve (like I think the 05s will). I thought the vintage was a bit oversold if you ask me, but I have been surprised before (03 and 06 did not do well for me early, then they really hit a nice point at year 5).

Of course I should have clarified that this was simply my opinion based on my palate. I think I like cabs a little younger than most and I may have not purchased and cellared wines that held much promise for aging. I do have a couple of decent bottles I’m saving for last, so we will see.

I’m relieved to hear about the Snowden Reserve. Thanks, Mike.

Rick

I ALMOST pulled one last weekend but managed restraint. I think this wine will go longer than many 07s.
We did 07 Scarecrow, Hillside and Hundred Acre Precious side by side in Sept. None sucked.

I tried an '07 Larkmead (basic Cab) recently. I thought it was really young but should show better 5 years down the road. It was fairly fruit forward, so I am hoping secondary and tertiary notes emerge down the road. Given the vineyard site, I think it is a fair bet that it will pay off. I am not in a rush and nothing that is vintage related suggested to me the need to panic or sell off.

Brian, every time I have opened the 07 larkmead cab I’ve said “give it 2-3 more years”.

Had the 07 Larkmead last week and thought it was in fine shape with a 1 hr decant. Just finished the 07 Forman tonight and it was terrific. I had the Bressler and Drinkward back in October in Napa and was very happy with them.

My thoughts are this is not a vintage that will age well and my favorite producers seem to be entering their drinking window.

Scott- good to hear your thoughts on the SHS. Have not tried mine yet but the notes in CT seem to echo the concerns about a hot mess.