I don’t know if the list is full or not, but get on the list or waitlist for Ketan Mody’s Beta Cabs. They are around $90 and in my opinion punch above their weight class. Big dark fruit but nice and dry and restrained in alcohol and ripeness. Just opened a 2012 last weekend and it showed beautifully. and will only get better. With a slightly riper, but still well balanced profile, the William and Mary is a great wine also. A mailing list wine also, but you will find a little at retail on the west coast.
Oh and also a name that is very well regarded but does not get a ton of attention form the board is Kathryn Kennedy Cabernet from Santa Cruz mountains. In my opinion every but as good as the more recognized Ridge in that area.
I don’t know if it’s a “better” option, but it’s a very good option. Certainly worth looking into, given what you seem to be looking for.
The prevailing opinion on this board will steer you towards the most traditional, less ripe, less oaked Bordeaux, and bemoan that fewer and fewer Bordeaux are in that style. But I would guess if you’re used to drinking Napa, you’ll find most current Bordeaux to be closer to the “balanced non-fruit bomb” character you seek, without having to seek the subcategory of most traditional Bordeaux. Plus, what is now more mainstream Bordeaux is more approachable at younger ages, without needing to buy old bottles or buy current ones and age them for decades.
I’m not sure how much you know about Bordeaux. Broadly speaking, you can divide it into Left Bank (including the appellations Margaux, Pauillac, Saint Julien, Saint Estephe, Pessac Leognan, Graves and the Haut Medoc), which are cabernet blends but are usually predominantly cabernet, and Right Bank (most notably St. Emilion and Pomerol, also Bourg and Blaye), which are usually primarily merlot. Though if you have the idea of merlot being soft and fruity cougar juice, that’s not at all what Right Bank Bordeaux is like, and you probably wouldn’t want to skip it those based on assumptions. The Right Bank wines will have plenty of the character you like in California cabs, and tend to be a little better value for the dollar and able to be enjoyed at a younger age.
The other big thing to remember in Bordeaux is that pricing, quality and style are heavily vintage-dependent, far more so than California. The exact same wine from 2013 (regarded as a cooler, lesser vintage) may cost half what that producer’s 2015 or 2016 (regarded as excellent, riper vintages) costs. And be quite a different type of wine. But the good news is that in strong vintages like 2015 and 2016, there tend to be a lot of great buys at lower price points, as less prestigious producers and plots of land produce very good wines. One of the consistently best places for value in the world of wine is $15-40 Bordeaux from great vintages like 2010, 2015 and 2016.
Two questions: (1) what price range are you looking for, and (2) what types of wine stores do you have near you for shopping? Those pieces of information will help me and others make specific suggestions for you.
We opened a 2010 of this a week or so ago and I was pleasantly surprised that it was not a fruit bomb, nor too oaky. We very rarely buy CA wine anymore, but I am going to start to buy a few more of these. I am glad they are going to participate in WB day.
Gramercy was mentioned above. Avennia, Andrew Will, Betz, Cadence and Leonetti are all on par. Plenty of other Washington State Cabs are worth exploring; Double Back, Januik, Seven Hills, Spring Valley are a few.
A large percentage of WA winemakers have been habitually over using oak, so you do need to take care. Most of the Cabs are not as ripe and plush as the Napa counterparts, so in that way they are more traditional. Vintage matters.
Recently I’ve tasted samples from winemakers who I wouldn’t otherwise recommend who have reined in their style.
I hope that is a trend. Mark Ryan and Matthews spring to mind.
Thanks for the response. Until I decide what I do and don’t like as far as the different regions, I definitely don’t want to spend more than $50 and would love to stay in the $15-$40 range you mentioned. That would allow me to try more options since I am a newbie. A $15 St. Emillion for example, if there is such a thing, would let me know whether I enjoyed it enough to try a $30 bottle or a $50 and so on. The same thought process goes into my search for Napa Cabs but my experience is I don’t like any of them that are $15-$40.
As for stores, I have a small wine shop that I spend way too much money at which is big on Italian wines and cheaper US wines to cater to the market and the Total Wine. Thanks for your help
The time to buy good Napa Cabs for $15-$40 was twenty years ago. Unfortunately, even in Washington the wines in that category are likely to be mass produced and somewhat artificial. You might find Seven Hills, Soos Creek and a few others at the upper end of that range.*
If tariffs don’t spoil the soup, Bordeaux is probably the best place to look.
I occurred to me that you should try Cadence “Coda”, not pure Cab.
I have to get most of my wine from Total. I am picking up a bottle of the Ridge Estate this weekend. The vintage they have is 2016. Will that be too young to drink now? Decant for an hour? I wish I had more shopping options.
I think Drinkward Pechon falls a bit in between. Definitely not a fruit or oak bomb and I’d put it arguably in the top 5 list of my personal favorite cabs under $100.
In that price range try to Calluna Vineyard Cuvee if you can find one locally. It is not cabernet but a blend that is generally 50%+ merlot with other bordeaux grapes comprising the rest. Calluna has participated in past berserker days and if they do this year that may be an option to get some at a good price. I love all their wines but the others are I believe over your price target.
That’s an excellent choice. It’s an ageworthy wine, but one you can drink young just fine too. An hour or longer decant might be good, but I doubt it’s essential. I’ll be quite interested to hear what you think.
Total Wine’s strongest suit is Bordeaux. There should be great options for you. I’ll browse their inventory at some point and make a few suggestion - I’m sure others can as well.
Patrick, there are others on here that know a lot more about Ridge and when to drink them than I do. I thought the 10 was drinking fine, but was still on the younger side. For my tastes, I suspect the 16 would be too young. It depends on how you like your wine. I need to pick up a few there or at State Line in Elkton.
Patrick, if you go the Bordeaux route, avoid 2013. Most of them suck. 2014 is a less ripe/sweet year. 2015 and 2016 are riper, with 2016 being a bit fresher/crisper. 2015 being rounder and more forward but not in the fruit bomb category if you avoid the modern St Emilions. I’d try 2014 as a starter. Lanessan, Meyney, Poujeaux, Haut Bailly are all worth a go depending on your budget.
Reach out to John Ruston at Ruston Family Vineyards. They make several cab blends, most of which are under $50. They taste like California wines, but are not unbalanced fruit bombs by any stretch.