Cal Cabs Thrashed In Decanter!

[Van The Man]

I had a chance to catch up on some reading this weekend with bad weather and a bad knee slowing me down a bit. And I picked up the latest issue of Decanter, a UK based wine rag which I enjoy the most of all the rags I get because is is LOADED with meat and potatoes as opposed to a bunch of glitz and glamour. (Marshall Manning, this would be one you'd like, its all wine, every time)

The March '99 issue has Jancis Robinson on the cover as "Woman of the Year 1999) and a big blurb "140 California Cabernets rated." So, I flip to the article and zow! Not pretty at all. There was some discussion on the recently re-planted Napa Valley and some discussion on other appellations and then an overall discussion about the wines that were tasted. The tasting was done by 13 UK based tasters, 4 of which were MW, another reason I like this magazine.

Here were some comments which are kept to a minimum due to copyright considerations:

"These cabernets were not built for ageing, the best may last for 5 years..."

"To drink California Cabernet, you have to love it; it's neither cheap nor top value."

"Premium these wines may be, but they are not the top wines at auction."

Perhaps the most damning point of the article was that winemaking was at fault and therefore prices were way out of whack. One writer offered that the raw material was "top stuff" but that the wines were over extracted, overoaked and unripe. Kieth Isaac MW pointed out that the wines overall, were at best, decent reds which offered unbalanced drinking. One writer pointed out that California Cab winemakers seemed as though they were trying to see how much depth, concentration and overextraction they could put in a bottle and that "they are trying too hard."

On the subject of price, all writers seemed perplexed at the prices these wines are commanding and noted that many winemakers around the world often ask "what's the best wine I can make from the fruit I have" while in California they seem to ask "what's the most money I can make" as opposed to wine. The writers unanimously indicated that the wines were good wines at a $12 to $14 price point but that they were overpriced when they get to $20 and that they would buy from other regions like Chile where there are still good values.

On the positive side, the article did say that the oak level seems to be better integrated, that Napa and Paso Robles were places to watch and that the '95 Mondavi Reserve and '96 Staglin were wines to look for as they got the highest rating from the magazine, 5 stars.

Overall, not the most flattering piece to say the least. However, it's not really a surprise, is it? I think the consensus amongst many is that the wines are made to be drunk young and that many of the prices they are getting these days are simply absurd.

From my perspective, I will add that I don't believe all California wine is over priced and of average pedigree. I think there are still good values and excellent wines coming from California. But I find myself buying less and less and less California wine every day.



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