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More QRW Summer 2008 feature articles:
All Things Grape and Small / Randy Sheahan
California Winery of The Year: Kendall-Jackson / QRW Staff
A New Chapter for Allegrini / QRW Staff
The Skinny on 2003 Brunello / Tom Maresca
Rodney Strong: A Model of Consistency / Richard L. Elia
King Estate’s Crowning Achievement / QRW Staff
QRW’s 24th Annual California Best of The Best / QRW Staff
Best $12 and Under California Wines / QRW Staff
Jordan Winery’s Balancing Act / Larry Walker
Wining and Dining: Manhattan / Edward and Mireille Guiliano
Gnarly Head: Eminently Quaffable / QRW Staff
Best of The Best:
California Cabernet Sauvignons
These 30 are true exemplars of the species.
QRW Tasting Team
Cabernet Sauvignon stands supreme among California red wines. But not all California Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% from that grape. Many California producers have taken a cue from Bordeaux counterparts and are now blending Cabernet Sauvignon (remember, under U.S. law a wine need only contain 75% of a particular grape variety to call itself by that grape’s name) with smaller portions of Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. In so doing, they hope to temper Cabernet Sauvignon’s aggressive tendencies and produce a rounder, more elegant wine. About half of the Cabernet Sauvignons chosen by QRW as California’s current best are so blended, while the rest are straight Cabernet Sauvignon. We’re partial to both versions, blended and unblended. It matters only that the wine be good. And the 30 wines listed below are all that and more.
5-Star California Cabernet Sauvignons
Wines of extraordinary character and quality — in a class by themselves
Co-BEST OF SHOW2005 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley), $70 2005 Kendall-Jackson Highland Estates Cabernet Sauvignon |
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2003 Arrowood Reserve 2005 Caymus Special Selection 2004 Chalk Hill Estate 2004 Clark-Claudon Estate 2004 Duckhorn “Rector Creek” 2005 Ehlers Estate “1886” |
2004 Hunter III 2005 Kendall-Jackson Highland Estate “Hawkeye Mountain” 2005 J. Lohr “Hilltop Vineyard” 2005 Luna 2003 Shafer Hillside Select |
Winemaker Chuck Wagner, Caymus Vineyards |
2005 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley), $70. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Lush, round (indeed, superbly balanced), silky, elegant, mocha, nut and blackberry flavors. |
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Winemaker Richard Arrowood |
2003 Arrowood Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Speciale “Unfined and Unfiltered” (Sonoma County), $100. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Rich, ripe, plush, pure, elegant, cassis, mocha and roasted nut flavors. |
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Winemaker Steve Leveque, Chalk Hill Vineyards |
2004 Chalk Hill Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Chalk Hill/Sonoma County), $60. About 80% Cabernet blended with Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Rich, ripe, vigorous, well-knit, black fruit, coffee and roasted nut flavors. |
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Steve Peck, red Winemaker (left) and Jeff Meier, Senior Vice President of Winemaking at J. Lohr |
2005 J. Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon “Hilltop Vineyard” (Paso Robles), $35. 96.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3.7% Petit Verdot. Big, rich, velvety, black fruit, spice and nutty oak flavors. |
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Winemaker Elias Fernandez, Shafer Vineyards |
2003 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select (Napa Valley/Stags Leap District), $200. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Big, deep, rich, bold, well-concentrated, black fruit, graphite and roasted oak flavors. |
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2005 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection (Napa Valley), $152. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Rich, ripe, pure, silky, elegant, black fruit, mocha and toasted oak flavors.
2004 Clark-Claudon Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley), $75. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Big, rich, earthy, powerful, long, black fruit, dark chocolate and roasted nut flavors.
2004 Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon “Rector Creek” (Napa Valley), $95. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Big, deep, rich, firm, well-concentrated, black fruit, coffee and roasted nut flavors.
2005 Ehlers Estate Cabernet Sauvignon “1886” (St. Helena/Napa Valley), $95. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Exotically ripe, pure, texturous, well-concentrated, fruit-compote and chocolate flavors.
2004 Hunter III Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley), $60. 88.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.8% Cabernet Franc and 4.5% Petit Verdot. Big, deep, rich, ripe, firm, well-concentrated, black fruit and nutty oak flavors.
2005 Kendall-Jackson Highland Estates Cabernet Sauvignon “Hawkeye Mountain” (Alexander Valley), $55. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Big, rich, ripe, plump, full-blown, black fruit, earth and nutty oak flavors.
2005 Luna Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley), $60. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Big, deep, rich, resonant, blackberry, mocha and nutty oak flavors.
4-Star California Cabernet Sauvignons
Wines of outstanding character and quality — benchmarks of their type
2005 Chappellet Signature Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley), $48. 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. Lush, pure, silky, elegant, black fruit and coffee flavors.
2004 B.R. Cohn Olive Hill Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma Valley), $50. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Round, ripe, pure, pretty, blackberry, vanilla and roasted nut flavors.
2005 Consilience Cabernet Sauvignon “Camp 4 Vineyard” (Santa Barbara County), $36. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Silky, elegant, well-focused, spice, nut and blackberry flavors.
2004 J. Davies Cabernet Sauvignon (Diamond Mountain District/Napa Valley), $75. 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec, 7% Petit Verdot and 5% Merlot. Rich, lush, concentrated, black fruit, coffee and nutty oak flavors.
2005 Ehlers Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (St. Helena/Napa Valley), $45. 80% Cabernet Sauvignon blended with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Pure, round, well-knit, black fruit, spice and dark chocolate flavors.
2003 Thomas Fogarty Cabernet Sauvignon “Vallegra Vineyard” (Yountville/Napa Valley), $50. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, dense, muscular, well-concentrated, black fruit and coffee flavors.
2004 Grgich Hills Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley), $60. 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Rich, pure, silky, elegant, cassis, cocoa and nutty oak flavors.
2004 Heller Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Carmel Valley), $35. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Rich, plush, texturous, well-knit, black fruit and roasted nut flavors.
2005 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley), $70. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Rich, succulent, full-blown, black fruit and nutty oak flavors.
2004 Lancaster Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley), $60. 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot, 2% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep, rich, well-concentrated, black fruit and dark chocolate flavors.
2005 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley), $50. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Big, rich, bold, black fruit, coffee and nutty oak flavors.
2004 St. Francis Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma County), $22. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Big, rich, plush, texturous, black fruit, nutty oak and chocolate flavors.
BEST VALUE
2005 Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley), $30. 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 8.5% Malbec and 3.5% Petit Verdot. Rich, round, texturous, black fruit and nutty oak flavors.
2004 Sequoia Grove Rutherford Bench Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Rutherford/Napa Valley), $60. 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec. Rich, round, ripe, succulent, black fruit and nutty oak flavors.
2003 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley), $100. 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Big, staunch, well-structured, black fruit, mocha and nutty oak flavors.
2004 Vine Cliff Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley), $55. 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc and 9% Petit Verdot. Rich, round, texturous, well-knit, black fruit, coffee and nutty oak flavors.
2005 Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley), $40. About 80% Cabernet Sauvignon blended with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Round, silky, somewhat exotic, black fruit, mocha and toasted nut flavors.
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