Help with Napa vintages

So, Napa Cab is not something I follow very closely and we will be traveling for Christmas and I will be selecting wines to arrive at my in laws from a list rather than bringing stuff from my cellar. Can the Napa Cab fans give me some impressions on vintages from 1997-2005? I really don’t care how Parker or Spectator quantified the vintages into a score, I would rather just read what the experts on the board have experienced. The mix around Christmas is some very experienced drinkers and others who enjoy wine, but don’t care much about details and would not enjoy the Barolo and Burgundy I plan to have, so I thought some good Napa Cab would suit everyone.

Thanks in advance!

Of course strong emphasis on producer should be taken into consideration. Right now you’re best bet would be vintages on the younger end, 2004 and 2005. Many 2001’s are drinking very well, as are some 2002’s. Most pre 2000 Cabs are past their prime.

I’m assuming this was meant in jest.

1997 was initially a vintage of great regard but many now feel longevity is an issue. If you have options steer clear of 98-00. 2001 is a great vintage and largely drinking well. Had a friend call 2002 a “restaurant” vintage recently, by that he meant all bright and shiny. I have had really good 02 bottles and some disappointments. Folks disparage 03 and a winemaker in Napa I really like just told me they should be gone from my cellar by now, but they’re not. 2004 has been really tasty and I have largely drank these up, they seem to be pleasurable while 2005 is built to last. I don’t have as much 2005 Napa Cab as I wish I did.

Anthony what style and price points are you looking for? I generally agree that the 04 & 05 are your best bets now. However, there are spots of very good wines in “bad” vintages, and disappointing wines in the “good” vintages. I am sure we can find you something…

Ignore all the 1994’s.

I think most 05s have entered a “wait” phase. I’m ignoring mine.

Hmmm, I cant remember a cab from the 1997 vintage or earlier that was past it’s prime. Granted, the wines I’ve had were built for aging (Montelena, Araujo, Mondavi, Spottswoode, Forman, etc.). I’m not saying they are not out there, but f you are drinking a Cab with decent pedigree, 1997 or later should be well within its drinking window. I would probably opt for 1997, 2001, or 2002.

Especially if you see them on wine bid.

2004 is my favorite vintage. I have yet to have a bad offering. Here are some recent wines from a tasting

2004 Robert Young Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Scion - USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley
Decanted one hour. Showing well with cherry, mineral, spice and light oak. The nose is really nice and while the palate does not match up as well it is still a very good effort. Drink now. (92 pts.)

2004 Ramey Cabernet Sauvignon Larkmead Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley
Decanted five hours. 3 times in the Vinturi. Took for ever to open up and once it did it was a decant wine. 87 on a pop and pour. Nose of spice, forest floor, blueberries and floral notes. Medium to long finish and still firm tannins. This needs another five years in the cellar. (92 pts.)

2004 Bressler Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena
Decanted two hours. My wine of the night. Cassis, blueberries, floral, spice and baked pie crust on the nose and palate. A little heat once in the glass that blew off quick. Complex and multiple flavors dancing around on the palate. Long finish and medium tannins. Should age a decade and one of the best Cabs I have tasted this year. 95-97. (95 pts.)

2004 Tor Rock Kenward Family Napa Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley
Really good after a two hour decant and two times into the Vinturi. A subtle nose of raspberries, cherry, oak and floral notes. The palate is a bit more intense with an initial burst of spices. The wine did not improve in the glass but someone who kept it til later said it came back. This is not typical Napa Cabernet but is a really interesting wine. (93 pts.)

2004 Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards Éloge - USA, California, Napa Valley
Wow wine! Left Bank??? Mineral, stones, tobacco, oak and spices. Complex and concentrated. A long finish and really balanced wine. One of the best 2004 Napa wines I have ever tasted. Should improve with age and decanted 3 hours. The wine never changed for the worse it just got better in the glass. 94-96. (94 pts.)

2004 Flora Springs Cabernet Sauvignon Out-of-sight-vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley
One of the best $40 wines I have ever purchased and a last year top ten. Decanted 1.5 hours. Oak, forest floor, blueberries, gravel and vanilla. The wine transformed a few times in the glass and always kept it interesting. Medium to long finish and a classic example of how prepping a wine pays off. 94+ (94 pts.)

2004 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select - USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
Another good showing but not my wine of the night. A little too much heat up front. Decanted six hours and three times into the Vinturi. Big nose almost Aussie like on this occasion. Floral, spices, blackberries, cherry and rose petals. Palate is complex and tons of flavor. Very long finish and powerful. Should evolve over the next 20 years. 94-96. (94 pts.)

T Altmayer

As I stated “the producer should be taken into consideration”. I agree with you that Montelena and Forman and a few others are wines built to last, but the vast majority of California Cabs are not made in this style.

Thanks to everyone. I have several options. My wife’s family is in New Mexico and there is a good restaurant with an adjoining wine shop and they are letting me make selections from the restaurant list and will sell to me at the shop retail price. They have a bunch of back vintages going back to 1997 or so.

As far as style goes, I would lean toward something a bit more “traditional” (Heitz Martha’s, Montelena etc), but based on the feedback here I will look closely at the 2001 and 2004 selections.

`97: Flashy on arrival. The reputable producers still have theirs showing strong, while the ones that came out of nowhere faded fast.

`98: Much maligned on release. Have evolved into being a really good vintage in my eyes. Can find them for a song on auction sites and I’ve never been disappointed.

99: Solid year, cannot go wrong... been 5 years or so since I've had a 99, so now sure where they are at currently.

`00: Been a long time since I’ve had a 2000. I recall them being on the thin side.

`01: Best vintage in Napa in the last 10 years… The Latour of vintages. Power, structure, grace. All in one.

02: Second best vintage in Napa over the last 10 years... I'd drink an 02 over an 01 right now. I think the 01’s are more about structure and `02 is all about pure lushness.

03: Panned on release, I personally didn't care for 03 at the start… but the few I’ve had recently have shown to be quite good today. Beginning to think it’s a “sleeper” vintage.

04: Was never a fan on release. Flashy on arrival. Hot vintage, incredibly ripe. I can't remember the last 04 I’ve had, so no comment on how they’re drinking now.

`05: Heavy crop year. Some real stars, but also some thin bottlings. I highly recommend 2005 from the established producers.

`06: Mixed bag, most seem to be lacking depth.

`07: Very good year. Great depth and richness.

`08: Hot vintage. Currently flashy on release. Not sure how they’re going to age over the long haul. Incredibly ripe wines. Reminds me of 2004.

`09: I’ve never been as excited as I am over 2009 for Napa. There’s the potential for some incredible wines to have been made.

great notes John

1999 last night
Lots of cassis up front. Some heat on the mid-palate. A little menthol/Eucalyptus and a powdery graphite quality. Tiny bit of cedar. Not explosive but very well-integrated with a long finish dominated by some dark cherry.
A buddy and I agree (independently scored)–94

This is a joke…right??

My interpretation of this is “I drank most of my pre-2000 Cabs already, therefore they are past their prime.”

Not sure what Cabs are in question there but this year I’ve tasted great Cabs from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 00’s… and I swore off Napa ten years ago!

have had lots of early 90s stuff in the past year. Not gone for sure
We’re doing an 90, 91,92 (I think) Togni mini vertical in Jan

While I don’t entirely agree with Christopher, I would say there are a number of more modern producers where the wines simply do not evolve significantly to suggest they are “better” wines at 10 years and beyond. So if your style runs toward the big, fruit forward style of a Vineyard 29, Lewis or the like, perhaps Christopher is correct. My guess is that some of these wines may break down or become a mess of VA. However, more classically styled wines from California hit their peak at 10 to 15 years and some even later. I’ve had a number of mid- to early-90s wines this year that have been gorgeous from a 92 Mondavi Reserve to a 94 Montelena. Even some of the lesser wines from the mid-90s have been very good including a Frog’s Leap, a Grgich Hills and a Clos du Val.

Like John O, I have been pleasantly surprised by some 98s recently. I didn’t buy or hold many, but I’ve tasted a few lately from other’s cellars and they are nice wines right now, including a Silver Oak which I’ve never imagined would be a cellarable wine. If I had my choice, I’d take other vintages ahead of it, but its not as bad a vintage as first portrayed.

Jay Carroll,

I didn’t say all pre 2000 California Cabs are past their prime, I said most are past their prime, and I stand by this statement. Napa Valley produced some beautiful and age-worthy wine in the 1980’s and early 1990’s, that are still vibrant today. However by the mid to late 1990’s many vintners pushed the ripeness too far in my opinion. Would you prefer a 1997 Lewis Reserve to a 1997 Forman? I’ll take the ladder for sure! Two of my all time favorite wines were the 1985 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard, and the 1987 Spottswoode. Both aged well indeed and my still be going. But most California Cabs from 1997-2000 are past their prime.