Which Napa winery releases their Cabernet almost a full year before most other high end producers?  Caymus. Why?  Because every single vintage sells out before the next is ready to be released.  Somehow Chuck Wagner manages to produce an incredibly consistent Cabernet regardless of the vintage, and his loyal fans recognize this.

Wanger put out a well produced informative video about how he makes Caymus wines.  If you are interested in the process, you would enjoy this video.  View the video on YouTube here.

Caymus’s consistency comes down to vineyard management and after watching the video, I was surprised to learn that Caymus harvests by machine- something that most high-end wineries would not admit to.  It obviously works for them, and I appreciate that Wagner isn’t interested in posturing.  The true secret to their consistency is the range of vineyards they have to choose from when producing each year’s wines.  In addition to their home Rutherford Vineyard, Caymus sources from vineyards throughout Napa allowing them to choose from each vintage’s best microclimates to produce their wine.

As expected, this is a very ripe, dark and rich Cabernet made in the typical Caymus style.  The nose is blueberry and vanilla with a palate dominated by dark chocolate and coffee.  This is a sweet wine, but balanced on the finish, with a nice acid that seems to be more prevalent in the 2009 vintage.  If you sometimes find Caymus too sweet, this vintage might be one to try.

This is my third vintage to write up on this blog and I can tell you confidently that 2009 is another winner from Caymus.  I can’t wait to see how Wagner works his magic with the difficult 2010 vintage.

For the lowest price on every vintage, LA Wine Co is the place to shop!

Buy Here: 2009 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon $59.95

Wine Spectator 91 points

“Supple and creamy-textured, with mocha, ripe plum and cherry flavors that show touches of tobacco, espresso and underbrush. Full-bodied, gaining tannic traction on the finish, elegant and readily approachable. Drink now through 2018.”

Rutherford Ranch is another example of a high volume producer that consistently delivers a fantastic product.  As a wine enthusiast (not capitalized), I love nothing more than finding a small producer that produces an incredible product that’s completely under-the-radar.  The problem is, one of two things generally happen.  1.) The small producer starts buying more grapes and becomes a bigger producer with lower quality or 2.) They get discovered and prices skyrocket.  Bottom line: it’s great to find some go-to lables that produce wine in such a quantity that it’s easy to get a hold of and has a high level of consistency.

My Short List of High Value/High Volume Producers (sticking to the U.S. here):

• Hahn Estates (All)
• Beringer (Regular, Reserve)
• Mondavi (Regular and Reserve, but not “Private Selection”)
• Columbia Crest (All)
• Talbott (All)

Add to that list, Rutherford Ranch, because this Chardonnay is a proven value as is their Cabernet.  The Chardonnay is textbook for Napa, displaying aromas of tangerine, honey, bread and smoke.  It has a nice texture and a persistence that’s impressive for an $11 wine, likely due to the barrel fermentation that occured for part of this wine.

Rutherford Ranch’s Napa Chardonnay received 88 points from Robert Parker.  It makes a perfect pairing for any grilled fish or chicken or all alone for that matter!  I made pan seared Atlantic salmon cakes with an arugula salad with goat cheese and candied pecans.  Perfect.

Buy Here: Rutherford Ranch Napa Chardonnay $10.95

Wine Advocate 88 points

“Offers up aromas of nectarines, orange blossoms, and peaches”

Hall has been on a real run lately.  Since the 2006 vintage, they have received solid 90+ scores, but in the 2008 vintage their Napa Cabernet hit the magic 95 point mark (from Robert Parker).  What’s magic about 95 points?  Price.  It’s almost impossible to find a Robert Parker 95 point Napa Cabernet under $100, let alone $40.  Off the top of my head, I can’t think of a single Napa Cab from the 2008 vintage that hit this prestigious value mark.  A couple from 2007 come to mind like Robert Craig Affinity and… okay, no more come to mind.  Affinity sold out in an instant and the same will happen with this Hall bargain.

This wine is made by David Ramey and comes mostly from Sacrashe Vineyard.

Buy Here: 2008 Hall Napa Valley Cabernet $39.95

Robert Parker 95 points

“As for those in bottle, my favorite is the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa. Most of this comes from the Sacrashe Vineyard as well. A dense, full-bodied wine with lots of creme de cassis, charcoal, licorice and forest floor, the wine is opulent and already delicious and powerful. It should continue to drink well for at least 12-15+ years.

All of these wines are made by winemaking consultant David Ramey. I looked at some 2009 cuvees , the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa, 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain, 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Ellie’s, 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Jack’s Masterpiece, and 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Bergfeld. All of these wines should score between 90 and 95 points as they all have deep colors, beautiful pure fruit, the vintage’s tell-tale front-end loaded sweetness, balance and elegance as well as good freshness and depth. My favorites include the Diamond Mountain, Ellie’s, and Jack’s Masterpiece, with the latter being the most tannic along with the Bergfeld. All of these should be top-notch Cabernet Sauvignons that will last 20-25 years. If you haven’t jumped on the Hall bandwagon, it has been loaded with goodies for the last 3-4 years.”

I usually completely ignore Wine Enthusiast reviews.  For reasons why, see my “Rating the Raters” post. Well, by some fluke, they got this rating dead on, because this is an absolutely magnificent Napa Cabernet for $17.95.

This wine reminds me of the 2008 Paul Hobbs Crossbarn at a $12 discount.  It’s an open, oaky, and sweet Cabernet with serious intentions.  When it comes to value-priced Napa cabs, I find this style preferable to the more firm, tannic version, because I don’t have the patience, nor confidence, to sit on an $18 bottle of wine for five years to wait for it to hopefully open up.  This wine will certainly drink well for at least five years, but unlike a bottle of Anderson’s Conn Valley Reserve Cabernet ($60), it doesn’t require it to be at its best.

This wine pours a deep, dark ruby.  A big, sweet nose of stewed cherries and vanilla leads into a mouthful of ripe black and blue berry flavors.  12.5% Syrah gives this wine an appealing complexity, not found in most strictly Bordeaux grape blends.  I’ve been increasingly attracted to these types of blends, and expect to see more in the coming years as winemakers look to give consumers more exciting and interesting wines.

This is a frontrunner for Napa Cab deal of the year and LA Wine Co. destroys other online retailers at $17.95.

Buy Here: Fuse Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 $17.95

Lately, I’ve found myself shying away from Asian food because it doesn’t pair well with wine.  Seriously.  Now that I put it in writing, it actually sounds kind of pathetic.  Well last night’s fried rice doused in Sriracha called for something white, crisp and cool, so I grabbed a bottle of MSH Yountville Sauvignon Blanc from the cooler.  I already wrote about the insanely good Rutherford Merlot from MSH and the Sauvignon Blanc also delivers in a big way.

This wine has crisp acid but also maintains a round mouthfeel that lets you know it’s from Napa vs. Marlborough.  Yountville is one of Napa Valley’s cooler appellations due to its proximity to San Palo Bay, so it’s a great place to grow Sauvignon Blanc.  But any grape from Yountville usually gets a premium price.  Somehow MSH has found a way to create fantastic appellation designated wines at very low prices.  This is one of the very best Sauvignon Blancs I have had from the U.S.

Looking for a perfect daily drinker case?  6 of the Merlot and 6 of the Sauvignon Blanc for $96 might just be the deal of the year.

Buy Here: 2009 MSH Sauvignon Blanc $7.99

Rutherford is arguably Napa Valley’s most prestigious wine growing appellation.  Ever heard of Scarecrow?  It’s $1500 per bottle and is grown and produced in Rutherford.  How about Quintessa, B.V. Georges de Latour, Caymus, Staglin or Rubicon Estate?  Tired of me asking you questions?  Trick.  That was another question.  Okay, here’s a statement: Those wines all hail from Rutherford and their price tag shows.  Of the wines I listed, Caymus is the cheapest at $60.  Needless to say, when a Rutherford Merlot came along at $7.99, I had to try it.

MSH is a value-focused project of Tom Gamble, owner of some of Napa’s best vineyards.  He teamed up with other high-end wine growers and took surplus grapes from top-notch vineyards to create incredible tasting wines for Yellow Tail prices.

The MSH Merlot is an incredible expression of Napa’s take on this noble grape.  Deep purple bubbles lead to cocoa on the nose and rich chocolate on the palate.  This wine is exceptionally polished for it’s price and will impress any fan of Napa Valley Merlot.  A friend recently shared a bottle of 2002 Rubicon Estate Merlot with me and I would be proud to serve him this wine.  In fact, next time he’s over, I just might!

Buy Here: MSH 2009 Rutherford Merlot $7.99

Every time I drink an Oakville wine, I’m amazed at the uniqueness of the flavor.  Cabernet made from this tiny appellation in the center of the Napa valley, flanked by Yountville to the south and Rutherford to the north, is immediately identifiable by its exceptional density and powerful but sweet tannins.

The 2008 Oakville Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon is no exception.  At this young age, it pours a deep, opaque purple.  The color alone identifies this wine as something special.  The nose is sweet and round, another signature of Oakville, with a nice balance of ripe fruit and new oak flavors.  On the palate, it shows its youth with mouth-coating, biting tannins that get sweeter as the lengthy finish lingers on.  Let this baby sit for 10 years and it will be absolutely epic.  If you don’t like it then, you will be able to sell it for more than you bought it for on the 94+ point rating alone.

As I read the back label, two things are clear.  1) Oakville ranch takes winemaking very seriously.  This wine comes from 4 distinct plots in a single vineyard rising clear up to 1,400 feet.  That kind of precise selection is impressive and really shows through in the layered flavors of their wine.  2) Oakville Ranch does not believe in capitalization (see picture right).

If you collect California Cabernet, this wine is a must.  It’s a spectacular wine today for its size and weight, but like a bride before her wedding, this wine will drop weight and gain complexity as it ages.  2008 is turning out to be an absolutely spectacular vintage for Napa Cabernet.  I can’t wait to taste more!

Buy Here: 2008 Oakville Ranch Cabernet $44.95

Robert Parker 94+ points

“The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville exhibits a similar opaque purple color and appears to be slightly richer than the 2007, as preposterous as that may sound. This thick, unctuously textured Cabernet is loaded with creme de cassis, charcoal, earth and spice characteristics and displays an explosively long finish. Both vintages are great, but the 2008 might nudge out the 2007. However, this will not be definitively decided for 10-15 years. This is another 20-year wine.”

International Wine Cellar 92 points

“Good full ruby. Complex aromas of cassis, blackberry, licorice, subtle spices and menthol. Lush on entry, then utterly seamless in the middle, with harmonious acidity giving shape and energy to the intense cassis and black cherry flavors. A peppery nuance provides lift but this fruit bomb will need four or five years in the bottle to develop more complexity.”

Tonight we brought two different wines to a business dinner and it became apparent to me how differently people perceive outwardly similar wines.  We had four wine drinkers and we were split 50/50, somewhat passionately, between these two.  Both wines were 2007 Napa Cabernet but they were very different in style.  The Turnbull, from Oakville is rich, opulent and upfront; almost sweet with mouth coating tannins.  On the other hand, the Chimney Rock, from cooler Stags Leap, is focused, clean, exceptionally long and almost Bordeaux-like.  Think Aussie Shiraz vs. Rhone Syrah – same grape, but much different styles.

What I took out of tonight is that both of these are great wines.  I own both and enjoy them in different ways.   The bottom line is, if you like it IS good. That’s really all that matters.  Perception is reality when it comes to wine.  For what it’s worth, we bought both of these at a major discount super store which tends to have the lowest prices anywhere, and both of the wines were truly great values.  LA Wine Co. has the 92 point Turnbull a full $7 cheaper at $29.95.  That puts it at a $20 discount over the Chimney Rock, which starts to make a compelling argument for the Turnbull.  Even still, the Chimney Rock is exceptional and totally worth the $50 we paid.

If you take to a particular style, buy and enjoy that wine.  Throw out the ratings and labels and enjoy what you like.  Wine is about enjoyment and any other motivation between its purchase and consumption is downright pretentious!

We have a serious blue chip Napa Cabernet deal coming this week, and believe it or not, this isn’t it!  But this is arguably just as good a deal.

Nickel and Nickel was founded by Gil Nickel, owner of the famed Far Niente label.  Whereas Far Niente is focused on making the best Napa appellation wine, combining the best grapes for multiple vineyards, Nickel and Nickel makes exclusively single vineyard wines.  In July of last year, we tasted through a selection of Nickel and Nickel’s single vineyard Cabernets and were impressed by all.  The only problem: all of the Cabernets are around $90.  Especially in this case, quality comes at a price.

Can you guess where this post is going?  Somehow, LA Wine Co. managed to get Nickel and Nickel’s second highest rated wine (94 points from Robert Parker), and they are selling it for $59.95.  The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Kelham Vineyard is a wine for now and a wine for 20 years from now.  When I was there on Saturday, only 11 bottles were left, but if they are out when you try to order, or you want more than 11 bottles, send me an email and I will find out if more is available.

If you like Oakville Cabernet, and especially if you’re a fan of Nickel and Nickel, this buy is as good as it gets!  Plus it shares a name for this blog, so it must be good…

Buy Here: 2007 Nickel and Nickel Cabernet Sauvignon Kelham Vineyard $59.95

Robert Parker 94+ points

“Even more opaque ruby/purple-tinged (almost blue/purple) is the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Kelham Vineyard, which comes from a western hillside vineyard planted three decades ago. Like all the other wines, it is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Classic creme de cassis, vanillin and spice box aromas emerge from this full-bodied, dense, rich wine. Approachable now, it promises to be even better in 4-5 years and last for two decades or more.

An impressive group of 2007 Cabernet Sauvignons from the Gil Nickel family represents an Oakville terroir lesson with the exception of the State Ranch which comes from a vineyard further south in Yountville.”

In the middle of the Stags Leap District sits a rocky peak with a spectacular Tuscan style winery perched on top.  That winery is the iconic Silverado Vineyards, where we would found ourselves spending a beautiful Sunday afternoon during our three day tour of the district in which it lies.  The weather had shifted from sunny and warm to breezy and cloudy, with snow still falling on Mount St. Helena to the north.  As we stood on the back porch sipping a glass of Sangiovese Rose, we took in the view of the changing weather from what has to be the most beautiful place in Stags Leap.

Walking through the production area makes me realize how big this place is compared to some of the lesser-known wineries like Hartwell Estate.  But, much like Hartwell, Silverado controls every part of the winemaking process starting with the growing of the grapes in their own vineyards, mostly located in the Stags Leap District.  Unlike the vast majority of the wineries in the valley, Silverado bottles their own wines, much to the chagrin of winemaker Jon Emmerich, who we ran into in the barrel room.  Most wineries rent mobile bottling trucks the couple of times a year when they are needed, but keeping things in house makes sense for an operation the size of Silverado.  Emmerich considers it wasted space, confirming the winemaker as artist (not businessperson) mentality.

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