Senior editor James Molesworth will become Wine Spectator's lead taster for California Cabernet Sauvignon at the end of this year. He recently made a trip to Napa Valley and has posted dispatches from some of the region's top wineries. And don't miss our Q&A with James on his Napa Cab eureka moments, his scoring philosophy, and what he's up to when he's not tasting wine.
All wines included in this report were tasted non-blind, at the properties in Napa. The wines are listed in the order of tasting.
Paying Homage at Robert Mondavi Winery
There's another changing of the guard at Napa's iconic pioneer, with longtime winemaker Geneviève Janssens taking a step back and Nova Cadamatre stepping up. But the directive here remains to "maintain classicism," says Janssens.
And that classicism is on full display in the lineup of 2015 Robert Mondavi Napa Cabernets, from a warm and dry vintage.
“We got 18 inches of rain rather than 35," she says as we taste through the wines. "But March was wet so the vines grew quickly to start. The May was warm and the fruit set not so great. We wound up with smaller berries, smaller bunches and a lighter crop. An early harvest heat spike shut the vines down and so the game was to wait for them to pick back up. In the end, we picked at 25 or 26 Brix, as we like fresh fruit flavors rather than jammy.”
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley shows a flash of mint, with sleek and restrained red currant fruit. The 2015 Cabernet Franc Oakville (with 20 percent Cabernet Sauvignon blended in) offers warm plum, cassis and tobacco notes with a strong, fleshy finish.
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville is sourced entirely from the famed To Kalon Vineyard, from parcels along the back of the vineyard at the base of the Mayacamas mountains, where the soils are sandier. It’s a juicy ball of cassis and blackberry fruit, with taut structure and a fine minerality carrying the finish.
Markedly different is the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District, from volcanic soils where the fog influence is higher. That results in a decidedly herbaceous (and very fresh), savory style that accentuates a red currant fruit flavor.
The big dog here remains the reserve bottling, which since 2011 is entirely from the To Kalon Vineyard. The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon To Kalon Vineyard Reserve contains 7 percent Cabernet Franc and 2 percent Petit Verdot, with the blend aged 18 months in 100 percent new French oak barrels. It delivers a pure beam of cassis and plum fruit, with long, refined structure and flashes of mint and violet. There’s a light graphite echo at the end of the very long finish.
Equally compelling, though, is the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville To Kalon Vineyard Reserve, a pure Cabernet bottling meant to “show another aspect of To Kalon” says Janssens. The wine is given a longer élevage of 30 months in barrel. Vivid cassis and blackberry fruit is carried by strident tannins, with a large swath of tobacco rolling through on the finish. There’s a tarry hint, and it’s decidedly grippy, but not at all bombastic.
“We want freshness and balance,” she stresses when I note how some of the wines are decidedly more powerful, comparatively. “If the wine is in a riper style, it is a function of the vintage and not a conscious decision of the winemaker.”
Old Heritage, New Blood at Heitz Cellar
The Heitz family sold this legendary California winery to the Memphis, Tenn.–based Lawrence family, the family's first winery acquisition. The Lawrences are keen on preserving tradition here, but they're also infusing the property with new energy, and it starts with their 28-year-old new winemaker, Brittany Sherwood.
While the portfolio of wines is large, Cabernet is the name of the game here, as it comprises three-quarters of the more than 40,000-case annual production. Some vine parcels are being replanted, and there are new bottlings coming. Among them is the 2014 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Linda Falls, from a parcel on Howell Mountain. The 7-acre spot was planted in 2002 and had been going to the straight Napa bottling. But as it began to show its own character, it was pulled out as a single-vineyard cuvée, and replaces the Bella Oaks bottling, which was discontinued after 2007. It sees two years in tight-grained oak barrels, a difference from the wide-grained oak used on the other wines here.
"We planted that vineyard on Howell Mountain in 2002 and realized it had a lot of potential early on," says Sherwood. "In 2013, we finally decided to try something a little different to see if we could bring it into its full potential. Because it is Howell mountain fruit, it needed some silky midpalate weight and something to just slightly soften its big mountain structure. Enter tight-grained oak, and boom! Linda Falls as a single-vineyard designate was born."
The wine does deliver a juicier, more energetic profile than the rest of the lineup—not better, just different—with red currant, licorice and bramble notes that have a sappy intensity. It has Howell Mountain intensity, but also fits in with the overall house style here.
The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley adheres closer to the historical house style: focused, pure and streamlined, with supple edges to the red currant and cherry fruit and a dash of perfume through the finish. The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Trailside Vineyard is remarkably pure in feel, with nice drive to its red currant and damson plum fruit, with a long, finely-tuned, savory-flecked finish.
The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Martha’s Vineyard remains the flagship bottling. In this vintage it delivers a beam of cassis underscored with a minty note and carried by extremely fine-grained tannins. The bergamot and black tea perfume on the back end is beguiling.
After tasting through the 2013s here, there's a purity that stands out for me. The wines are brighter and more detailed than previous vintages. Sherwood explains that it's the result of a program to eliminate brettanomyces in the cellars, the spoilage yeast that in small doses can add aromatic elements that some people like, but is nonetheless a flaw. “Purity is the way you get a true sense of place,” says Sherwood.
Mayacamas: Rising Like a Phoenix
The legend of Mayacamas Vineyards is in good hands with winemakers Braiden Albrecht and Andy Erickson.
The 2013 Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder is dark in profile, with lightly smoky black currant, blackberry and fig notes infused with a light licorice snap hint. It roils with depth and power and shows the quality that marks the vintage in general. “2013 is a great vintage for everyone here,” says Erickson. “But we were putting things together as we harvested. In 2014, I think we see what we want to do here; I really think we hit the target.”
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon is packed with crushed currant fruit and laced liberally with sage, tobacco and mint, all backed by a light loamy echo. The finish is carried by warm stone, bramble and licorice notes. The wine sports that unabashed chewy mountain fruit profile without sacrificing purity or cut. As impressive as the ’13 is for its more overt and flattering profile, the 2014 has a sense of range and detail. And if that’s what Erickson meant by hitting the target, I’d agree.
Harlan Estate Plays the Long Game
Debuting with the 1990 vintage, Harlan Estate is one of Napa Valley's original "cult Cabernets." But owner Bill Harlan and his longtime team are still looking forward, albeit with a generation of vintages under their belt. Vintages that produced overt, full-throttled wines such as 1997 have become benchmarks as much for what not to do as what to do. For winemaker Cory Empting, the focus now is on a style that exhibits some restraint, though that restraint is more a function of the vineyard's maturity than the winemaker's hand.
The 2014 Harlan Estate Napa Valley brims with crushed currant and plum fruit flavors. It’s richly layered with warm licorice and shows both grippy and plush aspects that are still coming together, though it’s a prodigious wine in the making.
The 2013 Harlan Estate shows a bit more energy, with briar, sage, currant paste and melted licorice notes, along with a tug of loamy earth, without sacrificing drive and cut. It’s a dense wine with remarkable detail. The 2012 Harlan Estate is juicy and still a bit compact, offering a range of red, blue and black fruit flavors studded with licorice snap, sweet spice, and tobacco along the way before the finish kicks in with a jolt of energy. For general manager Don Weaver, the pair is reminiscent of the 2009 and ’10 Bordeaux vintages, back-to-back superb years with the ‘09s very flattering and the ‘10s showing more classic structure and drive (in Harlan’s case, the 2012 is flattering, while it's the 2013 that showcases a classic structure).
The 2011 Harlan Estate shows the vintage’s cooler edge, with a slight tilt toward sage and tobacco aspects, though the core of mixed berry fruit has ample density and flesh. There’s a light grain to the structure, from the impression of more acidity, though in reality it is a function of slightly lower alcohol than in warmer years. It’s in a beautiful place today, with plenty of life ahead of it. The 2010 Harlan Estate has a red fruit profile with currant and damson plum taking the lead. There are licorice and loam notes, but this is decidedly brighter overall, with a kick of kirsch on the energetic finish.
Un Peu de Changement at Eisele Vineyard
This longtime Araujo Estate property is now under the care of Artémis Domaines, which also owns Bordeaux's Château Latour. The accents have changed a bit and there are some tweaks going on in the vineyard and in the wine, but the soul of Eisele Vineyard remains very much intact.
In the winemaking, slight shifts include the elimination of high-toast barrels after the 2013 vintage, as well as temperature control in the barrel cellar. The wine is also blended earlier, mirroring Bordeaux timing (in the March following harvest) rather than waiting until just before bottling.
While the 2013 Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley shows rich plum and blackberry compote notes wrapped in warm licorice, with a steeped feel through the finish, the 2014 Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon shows a very expressive and markedly purer display of cassis, laced with light mineral, tobacco and warm stone notes. The licorice thread adds some tension as well, and the overall impression is very, very refined. There’s 1 percent Petit Verdot in this wine; every vintage since has been 100 Cabernet Sauvignon.
The 2015 Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is a stunner, combining the refinement of the ’14 with the showy fruit of the ’13, marrying plum, cassis and raspberry notes, bursting from the glass while light sage brush and loam notes underscore the finish. It’s tightly focused, with a lingering mineral echo wonderfully offsetting the fruit.
The 2016 Cabernet had just been bottled, and while winemaker Hélène Mingot was reluctant to show it, it displays a tight frame of singed alder around racy plum and cassis notes. It has energy and brightness, but has yet to reassemble itself following bottling (not a cause for concern). The 2017 Cabernet sits in barrel, but it has the makings of a special wine as well, with a tightly focused and unadulterated beam of cassis flanked by floral and licorice notes. It’s very fine-grained, and very long through the finish.
Randy Dunn's Howell Mountain Legacy
One of Napa Valley's favorite contrarians, winemaker Randy Dunn is (mostly) handing the reins to the next generation, with a third waiting in the wings. His stepson Mike has taken on increasing responsibilities since joining the winery in 1999, and today Randy decides when to pick, and Mike handles the rest.
The 2013 Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is packed with cassis and plum sauce flavors that are extremely vivid, with anise, apple wood, licorice snap, tar and blackberry paste notes layered in. A light charcoal hint peeks in on the finish adding textural contrast and additional length. This is a superb young wine. The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain offers more distinct sage, tobacco and bay notes up front, a slightly suppler feel to its mix of mulled currant and raspberry fruit with streaks of black tea and apple wood on the finish. The just-bottled 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain combines the best of both the previous vintages, marrying mint and sage with zesty loganberry and black currant fruit flavors, all backed by mouthwatering anise and bramble notes. The apple wood edge zips up the finish in this very defined yet youthfully very, very tight wine.
Bart Araujo Earns an 'A' with Accendo Cellars
After decades stewarding Napa's Eisele Vineyard, the Araujo family has a new winery, and a new philosophy toward Cabernet. And they've brought their longtime winemaking team along with them, the duo of Françoise Peschon and Nigel Kinsman.
The 2014 Accendo Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is 100 percent Cabernet. It cuts a broad swath of cassis and loam, with a sense of polish, but it keeps a light tug of earth too, while notes of mocha and tobacco flow in on the finish. The 2015 Accendo includes 4 percent each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, keeping Cabernet Sauvignon in the driver’s seat so that the wine remains cut from the same cloth, texturally, with broad and lush layers of cassis and blackberry fruit that are a shade darker, riper and more vivid than the 2014's. The extra varieties add intrigue, with a more prominent tobacco edge (from the Cabernet Franc) along with a bright violet note (the aromatic side of Petit Verdot). There’s a long, loamy echo too, perhaps from the addition of a fourth vineyard in this vintage (the Araujo family's biodynamically farmed Rancho Pequeño, located on the eastern side of the valley and featuring, not surprisingly, alluvial loam soil).
The 2016 Accendo was set to be bottled in a few days when I visited. It pulls together 15 percent Cabernet Franc and 3.5 percent Petit Verdot, with the rest Cabernet, from the same four vineyard sources as the 2015. It’s yet another step forward for the wine, showing greater energy, with a light briar thread adding range to the plum, raspberry and blackberry compote notes. The texture is again lush but not heavy, with detail coming from light anise, mocha and spice notes that flicker in and out. The long finish shows some drive thanks to a graphite edge.“Typically we prefer 90 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. But when we put this blend together, we just loved it,” says Bart Araujo. “We just let the wine dictate itself.”
92 Years Young, with Cabernets that Stand the Test of Time
On Napa’s Spring Mountain, Philip Togni’s Bordeaux-style blends are aging nearly as gracefully as he is—and he set up a vertical tasting going back more than 20 years to prove it.
Tasting two lots of 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon from barrel, the free-run juice shows intense bay and sage notes, among the hallmarks of the wine, backed by juicy plum fruit and a brambly edge. The press wine from the same lot shows tighter focus, with even juicier fruit, relying less on herbaceous notes while more rigid and energetic tannins show their mettle.
The 2015 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Tanbark Hill Vineyard is the second wine of the estate, a nearly all–Cabernet Sauvignon bottling sourced from two parcels located where a part of the slope bottoms out. Its deeper soils result in a more fruit-forward style, and the wine pumps out red currant, plum and licorice notes with savory highlights on the finish. The 2015 Togni Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley has a similar fruit profile of red currant and plum, but it’s a notable step up in range and depth, with terrific drive and grip.
The 2014 Togni Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is a touch suppler in feel, with a warm feel to its core of cassis and plum reduction notes. It seems a bit more sedate but no less lengthy or deep. The 2013 Togni Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is cut from the same mold as the ’15, with vibrant and intense cassis, plum sauce and melted licorice notes liberally infused with bay, sage and sweet tobacco notes. The finish is dense but juicy, inlaid wonderfully with an echo of juniper.From there we jump to the 2001 Togni Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, where mint and sage notes proudly lead off, giving way to a core of warm, mulled plum, fig and currant fruit. Lighter bay and savory notes thread through the finish, which is long and refined, ending with gorgeous echoes of juniper and warm fig.
The 1997 Togni Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley advances the development further, as it has gained cedar and sanguine notes to go with its panoply of mulled plum and cherry fruit, mineral, dark tea, sage and juniper flavors. “In today’s society, it’s difficult to convince people to age the wine,” says Togni after a sip of the ’97. “But the benefits are there,” he adds, nodding gently toward his glass.
Follow James Molesworth on Instagram at @jmolesworth1, and on Twitter at @jmolesworth1.