Aged Cali Cab

[Victor_Hong]

Had a 2002 Match Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Butterdragon Hill last night. It was certainly in its drinking window, but it suffered from being just a bit too ripe for my tastes. Enjoyable, but not my style.

I have various California wines from the 2002 vintage, and have no idea what to do with them.

[Victor_Hong]

https://www.vinfolio.com/1994-Markham-Merlot-Reserve?quantity=1&custcol_vf_bottlesize=2

Markham Merlot Reserve 1994, $25.

[T_Altmayer]

Having a 2001 Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot Vintner Select Mountain Top Vineyard. A really nice wine. Noticeable tannins with a medium + bodied wine. I had my concerns about this wine being overripe, but it is relatively balanced. Nobody would confuse this for a Right Bank Bordeaux, but it has some nice tertiary characteristics to it. (I know this is not Cab per this thread, but seems appropriate here). Good purchase for $30 at auction.

[Victor_Hong]

Having a 2001 Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot Vintner Select Mountain Top Vineyard. A really nice wine. Noticeable tannins with a medium + bodied wine. I had my concerns about this wine being overripe, but it is relatively balanced. Nobody would confuse this for a Right Bank Bordeaux, but it has some nice tertiary characteristics to it. (I know this is not Cab per this thread, but seems appropriate here). Good purchase for $30 at auction.

Your expressed the source of my ambivalence with 2001 and 2002 vintages.

[Andy_Sc]

I do not want to disappoint anyone, but this thread is beginning to read like a bunch of Brooklyn hipsters telling me that they only eat at Vegan restaurants where the ingredients are never heated to more than 120°. I do not want to disappoint anyone, but out there in the real world, comprising 99.9% of the population, modern, extracted, cold-soaked, wines with a lot of flavor are far preferred (because they are better) to wines tasting of fecal matter, cat piss, dirt on the floor of the corral, maderization or other delicious flavors that the 0.1% think makes them part of the knowledgeable and superior elite. Get over it!

I still own lots of Napa, eventhough I don’t like to drink young Napa that often anymore. I still do from time to time (with wine friends who prefer it above everything else and where it fits dinner - there is no better match to a grilled piece of meat than a bold young Napa) but I would never look or talk down on somebody who has different perferences. Anyway, it doesn’t suit either side of the spectrum well to critize the other side when it’s indeed all subjective and about personal preferences.

[Glenn_L_e_v_i_n_e]

These two were surely terrific earlier this week.

[Joe_Abruzzo]

https://www.vinfolio.com/1994-Markham-Merlot-Reserve?quantity=1&custcol_vf_bottlesize=2

Markham Merlot Reserve 1994, $25.

Speaking of 94 Markham, a couple 12 bottle lots of the 94 Markham Cab up at Acker for under $200!

[Victor_Hong]

https://www.vinfolio.com/1994-Markham-Merlot-Reserve?quantity=1&custcol_vf_bottlesize=2

Markham Merlot Reserve 1994, $25.

Speaking of 94 Markham, a couple 12 bottle lots of the 94 Markham Cab up at Acker for under $200!

I saw them but am reticent about supporting the house.

[Victor_Hong]

Not a single bottle of 1994 California red on the Winebid new weekly offering, tonight.

[Wes_Barton]

Last week, some friends and I tasted through a vertical of Mount Eden Vineyards Old Vines Reserves, 1990-95. Oh, man, were those great! Only the 1993 was disappointing, and that was evidently a tough year in the Santa Cruz Mountains. If you ever wanted evidence for the ageability of Cal cabs, these are it.

These had solid tannins still, and conspicuous acid. Many had pyrazines! (Remember those?) They tasted more like classic Bordeaux than like classic California cab, with wonderful cab aromas. They were simply stunning.

The tannins had softened enough that these were all, with one exception, in their prime drinking windows, but they were remarkably fresh. The 95 was less evolved flavor wise. If I had any, I would wait at least five years. And, with the exception of the '93, the others will probably be more interesting in a few years. (The '91 and '94 were my favorite, but the '90 and '95 were not far behind.)

The back half of the bottles tasted the next night hadn’t changed a bit–as fresh as fresh could be, with no degradation.

Sadly, Mount Eden stopped bottling the old vine cuvee in 2000. It took a friend several years to assemble the vertical, which replicated one he put together years ago that was marred by corked bottle or two.

Bottom line: This is what Cal cab could be.

Mount Eden is better known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but the cabs from their estate are excellent.

-Al

Old Vine Reserve marked an era of replanting. So, now all the vines are in the (roughly) 20-35 year old range. Jeff said it was really around 1995 that he really figured out how to make Cab there. Imo, the Cabs become consistently good (no weird green vintages) and just got better and better overall.

I remember an old comment from Jeff that one of the three grapes seemed to particularly excel in a given vintage. I definitely think that’s true, and have had current release Cabs show best in the lineup a couple times (as well as each of the others).

[John_Danza]

https://www.vinfolio.com/1994-Markham-Merlot-Reserve?quantity=1&custcol_vf_bottlesize=2

Markham Merlot Reserve 1994, $25.

Speaking of 94 Markham, a couple 12 bottle lots of the 94 Markham Cab up at Acker for under $200!

I saw them but am reticent about supporting the house.

Probably left over blending stock from Rudy.

[Joe_Abruzzo]

Always on the lookout to add some from the 90’s. Have these coming in, just about all that I’ve enjoyed multiple bottles previously. Many from auction, price including premium.

1995 Beringer Vineyards Alluvium $25
1997 Behrens & Hitchcock Merlot Napa Valley Mag $85
1999 Galleron Cabernet Sauvignon Ramon (2) $25
1995 Saddleback Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley $50
1996 Plumpjack Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (4) $58
1997 Mario Perelli-Minetti Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Miriam (3) $23
1997 Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (2) $50
1997 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (2) $65
1998 Galleron Cabernet Sauvignon Morisoli Vineyard $25
1994 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon (2) $57
1995 Grgich Hills Cabernet Sauvignon (2) $55
1995 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley $45
1996 Fisher Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Lamb Vineyard (2) $70
1994 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (5) $160

[Victor_Hong]

https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3374067#p3374067

Cross-posted TN on 1994 Beringer Knights Valley CS. That last full sip resembles raspberry-tinged pipe tobacco.
Now wonder that this wine has jumped recently from $35 each to over $55.

[Victor_Hong]

Saturday at Gramercy Tavern.

[Mark_Golodetz]

I do not want to disappoint anyone, but this thread is beginning to read like a bunch of Brooklyn hipsters telling me that they only eat at Vegan restaurants where the ingredients are never heated to more than 120°. I do not want to disappoint anyone, but out there in the real world, comprising 99.9% of the population, modern, extracted, cold-soaked, wines with a lot of flavor are far preferred (because they are better) to wines tasting of fecal matter, cat piss, dirt on the floor of the corral, maderization or other delicious flavors that the 0.1% think makes them part of the knowledgeable and superior elite. Get over it!

Long may your awful taste in wine prevail

[Victor_Hong]

1992 Beringer Knights Valley CS 1992.

1992 Beringer Red Wine, Red Blend

A delicious and elegant wine, which shows no sign yet of fading. An affordable window into the old style of California reds, before alcohol, sweetness, oak, points, and real estate took dominance.

[MikeHill]

1994 S. Anderson, Richard Chambers Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, from Stag’s Leap District. First time with this producer.

Auction purchase, cork in fine condition. Splash decanted off minimal sediment, followed over the evening. Really lovely pre-Parker Napa cab. At nearly 30 years old, still youthful fruit, raspberry, red currant, blackberry and plum. Earthy undertones, cigar box, with fresh acidity, only 13.5% ABV. Medium+ body, silky tannins. Well kept bottles should have another 5-10 years.

I’m glad the trend seems to be moving back towards this fresher, balanced style, but I wonder if there producers in the $50 range to be had from say 2000-2015 that will give the same experience as these classic Napa cabs.

[Mark_C_Johnson]

We drank a 1983 Grgich Hills Napa CS last night. This pristine bottle was in fine shape and although throwing a lot of sediment it was in no way tired or past perfect. My wife said burgundian but I say bordeaux. Others at the table were equally impressed.

[JohnP]

I received a mailer last week from Spring Mountain that they are doing a library release of their 2001 estate cabernet. This is a special wine I’ve enjoyed several times and I believe it captures the allure of hillside aged cali cab, with loads of perfume.

[Marcu_Stanley]

This is so funny. I had a 95 Mondavi Reserve like ten or twelve years ago and it was so incredibly good that I started buying other mondavi reserves from the 90s (which were cheap then) only to find that none of them were as good - more overt fruit but dull and plodding compared to the 95. So yeah I agree it’s the best of the 90s