Napa Valley: So Many Cabs, So Little Time
 When you say “Napa Valley” to a wine lover, the first wine that comes to mind is Cabernet Sauvignon. Napa makes more great Cabernets (CS) than any other area worldwide except Bordeaux, where the grape is always blended. Cabernet made in Napa tastes different from Cabernet made in France, or anywhere else, because the growing conditions for the grapes are different.
CS is a full-bodied red wine whose subtleties vary with its location, which is a key element along with weather in the final product. And Napa Valley is an ideal location for CS. Situated inland from the Pacific Ocean, it enjoys hot, sunny days during the growing season and cool, breezy nights. The soil also varies considerably (microclimates), and there are mountains and valleys. These components give Napa Cabernets their particular personalities.
Wines made from CS grapes are generally deep in color and tannic -- a sensation on the sides of your mouth of astringency, like strong tea. Aromas and flavors include dark red fruits like black cherries and black currents, mint, cedar and tobacco. In cooler climate areas, it may have green pepper or olive notes. Some ageing -- up to 18 months in small oak barrels before bottling -- is common. With more age, leather notes may surface.
In Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon is always blended. In California, wines often are made 100 percent with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes (though the minimum required by Federal law is 75%), although a recent trend is for some blending with other grape varieties. These blended wines are referred to as Meritage (“meri-tidge”) when they mimic the classic Bordeaux blend that may include all or some of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot varieties.
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Some Recommendations:
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under $20 |
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$20 to 40 |
$$$ |
over $40 |
Beringer – Nice cocoa and mint notes. A value. $
Heron – Ripe cherries and herbs. Well made. A value. Also makes a great Merlot $
St. Supery – Blackberry and a black cherry and toasty oak. $$
Summers – Dark and delicious with spice notes. $$
Robert Mondavi – Smooth and velvety with flavors of blackberry, spice, chocolate. $$
Caymus Special Select – Another of the “big boys.” Also makes a less expensive CS. $$$+/$$$
Shafer Hillside Select – A real treat. Black current, tobacco, herbs. Silky. Also makes a non-vintage that is less expensive. $$$+/$$ |
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Napa CS may taste riper and richer than other Cabernets. It is often fuller-bodied from its high alcohol levels (some reach 17%) and more concentrated, with mouth-filling fruit flavors that linger after you swallow for a long "finish.” The acids and tannins found in a Cabernet Sauvignon contribute to its longevity. Napa Cabs can be very long lasting. For the most part, though, they don’t need to be laid down for years, but can be drunk from release. Outstanding or excellent vintages are 2002, 2001, 1997 and 1994, but most recent years are good as well.
Says Doug Shafer of Shafer Vineyards, a 32,000-case winery in Napa’s Stags Leap District: “After a quarter century we’ve learned a lot about this grape — where it grows best, how to blend, how to barrel age. Mostly, it’s knowing when to stay out of the way and let the wine develop the way it wants.”
By the way, when you do your trip to Napa, treat yourself and stay at the Meadowood Resort near St. Helena. It’s a wine-focused, beautiful 250-acre retreat (9-hole golf course and championship croquet lawns) with an excellent restaurant, great cellar and outstanding spa (www.meadowood.com).
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Patricia Savoie is a nationally-known wine writer living in New York City. She is completing her second book on wine and will be a regular contributor to this website.
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