2007 Napa - IMHO, it's as good as the hype...

After this most recent trip to Napa (for Berserkerfest I), I can confirm that in my opinion, the '07 vintage there is as good as it is hyped up to be.

I had the chance to taste quite a few barrel samples, and even compare to bottled '06’s and/or '05’s. It’s a fantastic vintage, and I know that others with whom I was tasting agreed.

I will need to prepare to buy some…

It reminds me alot of the 97. Big crop, fruitty, forward, tannins in check. The only question is balance and ageability.

Wanna be surprised? Start at the lowest level and try Costco’s new Signature Series line. They have an 07 Napa Cab for $22 and it is surprisingly good.

I will give it a whirl, in honor of my new friend Rob…

I was thinking the same thing when I saw the new 2007 vintage of the Martini Sonoma County Cab at BevMo the other day. The 2006 recieved 90 from RP, so I would assume the 2007 to be even better.

FWIW, I was at CrushPad during 2007 harvest/crush making a pinot. And while the pinot makers were happy with the vintage, Kian their winemaker that specializes in BDX varieties was VERY excited about 2007.

The '07 Napa BDX varietals that I tried this past weekend are the real deal without any doubt. From magnum, I think that the Maybach Materium is one of the finest young CA Cabs I have ever had. I will be going back in a couple of months to get to taste several other producers to firm up my impressions, but I must say…this vintage is going to hurt in the pocketbook.

As a side note, the '08 wines tasted up at Outpost from Maybach, Jones, Outpost and Rivers Marie all show that they have just the same quality levels.

Oooh, that sort of scares me as the 97’s I’ve tasted recently seem to be heading toward the end of their lifespan. It’s not the end of the world to have great early drinking wine, but I don’t want to back up the truck when it all has to be gone within 10-15 years.

Chris

I haven’t found too many of the wines I went long from 97 are declining. I have had a few lesser wines that died early. But that was my exact point you quoted.

Doubtful any of these will see 10 years or more in my hands.

baby killer neener

Bill likes 'em young.

And woolly.

When I poured Tex his first taste of the 07 Maybach, his joy was reserved. Then the rapid decline of the bottle’s contents that I had in hiding spoke volumes of his final conclusion. I never even saw a second taste. [swearing.gif]

No one is ever going to confuse you with François Audouze!!

They are the same height. [tease.gif]

If prices do not moderate, it is unlikely to matter to me how great the vintage is. I have simply decided that the premium necessary to play in this market is not worth it to me. I may buy a few of the well regarded wines (I have a soft spot for things like Montelena), and may try some of the so-called bargain wines (~$25), but my days clawing for the opportunity to pay $100+ for a bottle of mailing-list wines have come to an end.

i agree, but i am thinking there will be a number of “bargain wines” that are also delicious. I bought a few cases of those bargain wines in 01 and they have turned out to be pleasing quaffs.

I need to find some new ones. For example, for years I loved Caravina – the Seavey “bargain” – when you could get it for ~$20, but the price has effectively doubled.

Except for the Maybach at $110.00, mostly everything that I tasted and enjoyed was in the $35 to $75.00 range. All executed well and representative of their appellation and the vintage. I have cut my over $100.00 a pop list wines down to three and already have purchased two. Mike Smith’s wines at $60.00 a pop are steller and Aaron Potts at $75.00 also high quality.

I’ll say it again, in collusion with Jack, the Pott wines are very, very good. I will be a purchaser of the Cab Franc and maybe a couple others.

I’ve yet to foray into California for, besides stylistic reasons, my inability to find wines that please my palate under the 75 dollar hurdle. I can do some serious damage around there in BDX/CDP/Loire/Argentina, but I’ve only heard glowing praise on the Maybach Materium. I have to give one a whirl eventually I suppose.