I’ve always wanted to try and see a really well aged California Cab tastes like. I’m not looking to get an aged cult wine or anything of that level. If I wanted to get a good sense of the flavors and how they develop, what winemaker and vintage should I be looking at? I was thinking something along the lines of a late 1990s Mondavi Reserve? Any suggestions would be great.
Seems like a common thread is that it really depends on how well it was stored. Should I be avoiding websites like winebid then? And if so, what would be a good way to purchase these older wines?
That run can get pricey (Dominus, ouch!) but Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards can be had reasonably and provides a real look at that era, at least in terms of valley floor fruit.
The three I noted can be found in the $125-$150 range. Considering the pricing of new CA Cabs with short histories, these are deals. In fact, I’m gonna do my own backfilling!
80s Ridge Cabs are awesome (provided of course they haven’t been cooked). Like cars of that vintage, provenance is more important than model - one of the best wines I tasted in 2014 was the York Creek (I think) Cabernet from 81 - was something like 10.5% abv but utterly delicious.
I’ve got some screaming deals on winebid but also some cooked wine…caveat emptor.
If you are just going back to the 1990s, I think your best bet is Philip Togni, Dunn or Ridge. Mayacamas too, but the wines will be hard as nails.
If budget stretches to include wines from the 1970s and 1980s, your choices are much greater. Old Mondavi Reserve; a good one is the 1987. There are a few producers from the 1970s where the wines went abruptly downhill, so everybody seems to have forgotten them (i.e they are relatively cheap) but if you can find pre 1978 Burgess, Sterling or Jordan (yes Jordan) grab 'em.