I had a rule-of-thumb that Cabernet Sauvignon over 15% ABV lost its identity and fell apart, but I have now found some that held quality, even at that level of ripeness.Īt 14.8%, Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 is nearly in that camp, yet it gives a masterclass in elegance, integration, perfume and above-all, freshness. It should be said that rich, ripe and fully-oaked Cabernets not only exist, but can be done well by the right producers. Myriad other varieties are being tested too. Merlot may be having a renaissance as well, with Duckhorn’s 2015 Three Palms Vineyard Merlot being made Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year. A fellow MW pointed out that Argentina should be worried by its Malbec, and I certainly tasted a couple of interest. Likewise, whilst turbocharged Chardonnays do absolutely still exist, like Shafer’s Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonay at almost 15% ABV with full barrel maturation and MLF butteriness (actually a good wine, I must add), others are again dialling-back a little.įurthermore, the Valley does have other options. Moreover, perhaps partly as a result of the In Pursuit of Balance movement and partly as more wineries explore mountain vineyards over the Valley floor, there are some wineries bringing restraint and freshness back to Napa’s flagship – Cathy Corison perhaps the most celebrated. First, it wasn’t always thus: Cabernet Sauvignons of the 1970s were far from the 15% ABV, super-oaked blockbusters that became the norm in the 1990s. Napa Valley, the Big Daddy of California wines, is today world-famous for Big Cabs and Bold Chardonnays, landmark wineries and the Napa Valley Wine Train.īut dig a little deeper, and you find a lot more than those stereotypes. Napa Valley: the heart of California wine country

Free so2 ph chart tor wine