Cal Cabs Thrashed In Decanter!

[Van The Man]

Randy -

I think I understand where you're coming from....

>>2. Because I don't cellar wine for more than a year or two (so I would never appreciate its longevity).

3. Because I've drunk tons of 20, 30, 40 and even 50 year old Bordeaux crus over the years, and I truly fail to see what's the big deal. To me they taste like... old wine.<<

And I can say I think what you're saying is right. If you enjoy the style, those wines DO offer a better value than Bordeaux. I agree with you 100%.

For me, I've had a number of old wines that were wonderfully delicious and exciting and offered interesting complexities in their age. I've also had some wines that tasted as you say, "like old wine." <g>

So I think I see what you're saying and I think your right....if you like the thrill of a flashy, up front and young wine, than yeah, Cal Cabs really are better values....and may be better wines in fact as I believe they show better in their youth.

One thing I'm curious about, I saw your comparing Caymus SS to blends, do you think that Caymus SS is an interesting, complex and dynamic wine?

I used to have a HUGE collection of the stuff. I bought everything they released for 6 or 8 years in 24s. After holding and participating in several verticle tastings, one on SS going all the way back to '78, I decided to sell the stuff. In truth, I find the wine, both the SS and the Napa, to be about the most boring, uninteresting wine made in California if not the world.....ESPECIALLY for the dough. I still have a little SS remaining because the guy I sold the other stuff to didn't quite offer what I thought the wines were worth.

Since you enjoy and prefer younger wines, it may not be an issue with you, but if you ever want to bore yourself to sleep, try lining up 6 vintages of the wine and trying them all....blinded. And then try to tell the difference. The only way you can is that when Caymus Cabs age....they do indeed taste like old wine.

One last thing on prices, and I see in your description you are a pro wine buyer so you prolly know this, but Bordeaux prices are coming down. They got a bit too greedy over the last couple of vintages taking prices too high. I think we're going to see a significant correction bringing 1st Growth back down to around the $100 mark for young claret on futures. There's also a new trend in Bordeaux to make the clarets a bit more approachable in their youth so when offered a choice between a 1st Growth and Caymus SS, Opus One, etc., I'd take 1st Growth EVERY day of my life.

I gotta hand it to California Vintners in that they've done an EXCELLENT job as their wines and prices are bullet proof right now. It's hard to imagine but I think we'll see it in that the top wines of Napa will be more expensive than Bordeaux 1st Growth and they will take over in the next 2 years or so. Incredible.