Who is your favorite CA Cab producer (or two)?

[Roy Hersh]

Can be either your all time favorite producer or even which producer you believe makes the best CA Cabs in terms of value for money. This should be interesting ... at least for those that enjoy this category of red wine.

[Glenn E.]

I have no favorite, but my wife's favorite is Fransican Oakville Estates.

[Eric Menchen]

I like the Franciscan the last time I had it. My favorite producer is probably B.R.Cohn. I bought some Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cépages recently as I tasted some at an event and enjoyed it.

[Roy Hersh]

Is that it, the only CA Cab enthusiasts on ?

[Eric Ifune]

Ridge Montebello, especially if you preorder from the winery. These days, you need to be on the list, but a couple of years ago, anyone could buy. Almost half the price on release and stupendous quality.
Historically, Beaulieu George de Latour Private Reserve. My father bought these between the 1970 and the 1987 vintages. I cut my teeth on these wines, and they're still drinking well.

[Jay Powers]

Some favorites of mine:

Ridge Montebello
Dunn Howell Mountain
Ch. Montelena Estate
Neal Family

Newer (to me at least) and in a bigger style:

Mt Eden Estate (not very expensive as far as Cali Cab goes)
Anderson's Conn Valley

The Montebello is of course a blend (so maybe that dosent count?), and although Anderson's Conn Valley make a Cab Sauv. Reserve which is very tasty, I would say their highlight is their "Right Bank" blend of Cab. Franc and merlot (so perhaps that does not count either).

I think it's probably easy these days to get on the Montebello list and for the others as well, although you probably don't need to be on their lists and can buy direct from the winery or their web sites (perhaps Montelena is an exception).

I think the real trick in Napa is to find a nice cab which is in the ~$30-40 price range, and pay for the wine instead of the name. Neal, Mt. Eden, and Conn Valley all fall in that catagory.

Jay

[Moses Botbol]

For real old stuff, Inglenook is really great. Stuff from 70’s - late 80’s, Diamond Creek (especially Volcanic Hill) is pretty tops, and you can’t go wrong with Ridge. I don’t have any particular favorite.

[Roy Hersh]

At one time in my life 1980s-1990 the vast majority of non-Port red wine that I liked was from either Cru Classe Beaujolais region wines like Morgon, Fleurie, Moulin a Vent, Brouilly etc (the good old days before I was able to afford REAL Burgundy and Claret) OR it was Cali Cabernet. Those were simpler times and although a rare Chateauneuf crossed my palate or a rare Grange or Henschke HOG from Oz, even in those times, my mainstay was Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa. Back then, Mondayi Reserve "meant something" and it was special at that as was Beringer Reserve, back in the day. A really BIG deal was the rare bottle of Georges de la Tour from BV with examples from older wine friend's cellars coming out from the 1960s and 1970s that they'd had since release. I remember my first bottle of Joe Heitz's Cab and later, my first Martha's from 1974, along with memorable bottles of Ridge Montebello, Dominus -- the 1991 was one of the very earliest great CA Cabs I purchased by the case. Some early versions of Shafer Reserve were amazing, which was what it was called before being renamed Hillside Select (and once discovered -- repriced too!). Other standouts were the few times I had Diamond Creek from some of the great vintages like 1978, 1984, 1985 etc., or had been privy to try Winiarski's Stag's Leap Wine Cellars - Cask 23 ... once in a very deep vertical with Warren in attendance which I'll never forget.

But in the good old days, my two favorites were lesser known and never big names compared to just about any of the above: SEAVEY and also CLOS DU VAL. The former was a bit more fruit forward but had the propensity for great aging too, spectacular palate presence/texture and I've finished off all of my 1991s (brings a tear to my eye) and have just one of my mags left ... for a VERY special occasion as I am sure it still has a good decade before I get to it, if not impatient and consuming it on my 60th beforehand. The CdV was always as close as I could come to finding an ageworth backwards CA Cab that was painful to drink in its youth but rewarded cellaring. Last year, I opened my remaining bottles going back to 1978 in a deep vertical held here with my friends in my tasting group. IF I was still buying CA Cab, I'd be buying the Seavey today.

In what is the newer group ... and I don't keep up with CA Cab trends anymore at all, what I've had from David Ramey has been pretty sublime and of course, anything Heidi Barrett-Peterson has touched has turned to gold. It was her dad that taught me a ton about wine and later in 1999 gave me my first opportunity at wine judging along with Jerry Mead, a name few here will remember at all (beyond possibly David Spriggs and Eric I.). Come to think of it, I bet it has now been 15+ years since I've had a single Cru Classe Beaujolais. I bet they are still spectacular food wines and represent amazing if not ridiculous value for money.

I needed a good California rant and waited until the mood struck tonight, whilst sipping a 1997 Ridge Geyserville (Zin based, not Cab) for those that don't touch domestic wine/reds/table wine. This is phenomenal QPR too, but back to CA Cab. I hope more of you will spew memories and favorites.

[Andy Velebil]

I love Seavey, and along with Ridge, is a favorite Cal cab producer of mine.

I opened a 1984 Ridge Geyserville last week and it was still holding up very well. Not many zin producers can claim that feat!

[Eric Ifune]

The only California table wine that I'm still buying is Tablas Creek. High quality in a restrained style; and especially for members of their wine club, quite the bargin. Even their whites and rose are nice.

[Roy Hersh]

Andy,

What are some of your favorite vintages of the Seavey?

[Michael Hann]

My tasting experience is narrow, but I like the Clos du Val cabernet sauvignon.

[Roy Hersh]

Does anyone know if Bernard Portet is still involved in Clos du Val?

[Eric Ifune]

Not positive, but I think Portet passed on winemaking duties to his daughter.

[Roy Hersh]

Interesting, thanks Eric. I'd imagine he still retained his co-ownership role.