Professor Bainbridge...on law, politics, religion, culture & food

Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc (Napa Valley) 2006

A splendid white wine. Honeydew melon and freshly mown grass. Crisp but not aggressive. Grade: B+

Buying Older California Cabernets

There’s an interesting article in today’s LA Times on buying older, pre-cult California Cabernet Sauvignons:

In this overheated atmosphere with collectors from all over the world vying for the big names in old wine, one corner of the wine market—California Cabernet Sauvignon vintage 1985 and older—remains stocked with affordable treasures, according to experts on rare wine.

A handful of savvy connoisseurs collects these wines—not to fill their cellars with bragging rights, but to drink. Bidding on these older California wines in online auctions offers novice enthusiasts an avenue for exploring the pleasures of mature fine wine.

“It’s the last undiscovered top-quality wine in the market,” says David Parker, president of online wine auction house Brentwood Wine Co. ...

“Among the established old-wine buyers, the folks setting the high prices for wines at auction, the prevailing attitude is that California wines last 10 years and then fade,” says Scott Torrance, wine specialist at Christie’s in Los Angeles. “They are misinformed. Most of these buyers have never experienced the older vintage California wines. These wines are wonderful when they have been stored well.” ...

Acker’s Kapon has developed a list of “best bets” when it comes to buying “classic” California wines. Beaulieu Vineyard, Heitz, Dunn, Ridge, Chateau Montelena, Robert Mondavi, Foreman and Spottswood are the names to watch, he says.

I’ve picked up a number of older California cabs from Winebid.com with mixed success. Pretty much anything I’ve bought from the 1990 vintage onwards has been fine to superb. Pre-1990 bottles have been mixed. Some clearly were stored improperly at some point and others were just past their prime. But every once in a while, you get a real gem.

I stick to BV Private Reserve, Heitz Martha’s Vineyard, Ridge Montebello, and Mondavi reserve when buying pre-1990 wines, although I’d probably spring for pre-1980 Louis Martini reserves if I came across them. I only buy wines whose fill level are still in the neck and show no signs of seepage. And then I keep my fingers crossed.

Thought for the day

BBQ unfortunately is bad for you, but nobody wants to live forever, especially if it means not getting to eat steaks that are slightly charred on the outside and red and bloody inside.

Chateau Gruaud-Larose Sarget (St. Julien) 1998

Chateau Gruaud Larose’s second wine has aged exceptionally well. It offers up a ton of fresh dark fruit and a dash mint, but also cedar and leather. Quite lovely. Grade: B+

Silver Oak (Napa Valley) 1994

In 1994, Silver Oak’s Napa bottling was a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Cabernet Franc. At almost age 14, it’s starting to fade a bit in both color and intensity. At the rim, it’s ruby shading into brick. On the nose, the bouquet is modest, suggesting dark fruits and mushrooms. On the palate, it suggests the same set of dark fruits, earth, mushrooms, and tobacco. Candidly, I’m more than a little disappointed. It’s not a bad wine, it’s just not the great wine it ought to be. It’s certainly not the exceptional wine I remember from June 2004, nor has it justified the confidence I expressed back then in its aging potential. I’ve got 1 bottle left in the cellar and expect to open it next year at age 15 instead of in 2014 at age 20 as originally planned. Grade: B/B+

Schramsberg Brut Rose (North Coast) 2004

This Pinot Noir-based (66% to 34% Chardonnay) methode champenoise sparkling wine is a bright, rich salmon color with very fine bubbles. On the nose, it offers red cherry, red apple, and toast. On the palate, those flavors are reinforced with deep red berries, almonds, and yeasty bread. Grade: A-

Etude Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville (Napa Valley) 2004

The 2004 Oakville is another exceptional single AVA Cabernet from Etude in the 2004 vintage. The intensely forward fruit mix of black currant, blackberry, plums, with a dash of soy sauce and oriental spice makes it very attractive for current consumption. The wealth of silky tannins, howeve, suggests that it also has considerable aging potential. If you can find it (only 13 barrels were produced) this is a must buy. Grade: A

Yalumba Shiraz-Viognier (Barossa Valley) 1998

This blend of 85% Shiraz and 15% Viognier is still going strong at age 10. Although it was eminently drinkable, it could have aged quite a while yet. The wine demonstrates the considerable synergies that these varieties produce when blended. Of course, with 500 years of history behind the blend in the Côte-Rôtie, there’s plenty of precedent on which Australian wine makers can draw.

Despite its age, this wine is still fresh and youthful. The shiraz component offers up pepper, spice, black currant, and dark berry. The viognier adds mostly textural elements I think, making for a soft, slightly sweet, and velvety mouth feel.

Grade: A-