Can’t believe I missed this thread.
Victor - I think you know the answer at least a little bit. For my money, the 2007s are nothing like the 1994s. A gross generalization to be sure, but the 2007s are of a different type. The wines from 1994 and even 1995 were the of the last CA, or Napa Cab-based wines before most became slightly bigger and riper, the shoulders on the bottles became slightly higher, and the fruit became a little softer.
Again, gross generalization, but if I had to compare, I think the 2007s are more like the 1997s, which were nice and tasty on release but in many cases aren’t holding up as well as the 1994s.
I agree with you - 1994 was a great vintage.
Of course there are many many more wineries around today. So if you look at those that were around for both vintages, and primarily from Napa - say Montelena, Insignia, Dunn, B.V., Pahlmeyer, Dalla Valle, Monte Bello, Beringer, Staglin, Grgich, Corison, I’d go with the 1994s for most of them. Montelena, Dalla Valle, Corison, and Monte Bello are probably the most consistent. Dunn, B.V., Paylmeyer, Grgich had some tweaks, at least in that vintage. When I did a blind comparison of 2006 to 2007, I preferred the earlier vintage, including Dunn. I think that was the year that Rolland had the first influence on BV, and Grgich had shifted style years before.
Regarding stuff that wasn’t around then - Maybach and the wines from Bevan, etc., they seem different stylistically from most of those mainstream 1994s.
BTW - don’t forget 1991 and 1992!