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If you invest in wine, your cellar will be heavily endowed in red Bordeaux - the originial Cabernet Sauvignons. These wines have a well-established reputation for improving in the cellar over long periods of time. The best vintages have been pronounced worthy after more than a half century. Lesser vintages often come around in ten or twenty years.
In contrast, most California Cabernet Sauvignons drink well upon release. They're made that way because winemakers are aware that more than 90% of their wines will be consumed within two weeks of purchase and must, necessarily, be rewarding to the purchaser. So what is the point of storing California Cabernet Sauvignons at all, if they are known to drink well upon release? The fact is that, of all the winegrapes in the world, Cabernet Sauvignon requires more time to show its stuff. It is always at the top of the list of ageable red table wines. Aged Cabernet Sauvignon shows a splendid spectrum of flavors and aromas; and its heavy texture lightens up to provide a superb accompaniment for many foods. To compare aged Cabernet Sauvignon with young is like comparing two different varietals. I'd like to cite two examples from recent experience. I found a single bottle of Quail Ridge 1982 Cabernet Sauvignon in my cellar. It carried a Wine Spectator rating of 66 - barely drinkable! But sixteen years after the vintage, a transformation had taken place. It had shed the awkwardness of its youth and taken on wonderfully appealing characteristics: tea, truffles, silk, and enough fruit left to suggest that it was really a product of the vine. Hard on the heels of that delight, I opened a 1989 Justin Isosceles Reserve - a "meritage" wine from Paso Robles. This is a wine I purchased for $22 in current release and held in my cellar for seven years. In the mean time, Isosceles has become somewhat difficult to obtain and now carries current release prices of more than $40. So what had seven years in the cellar done to this wine, which drank very well at the time of purchase? Miracles. It was the most perfect example of Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon I have ever experienced. There was no evidence of oxidation, must, or dust - as is often the case with older red wines. It was light on the palate, silky and smooth, bright in flavor and color; the fruit was "winey" rather than fruity; pleasant notes of tea and cedar were noticeable. This wine was absolutely splendid. The problem is: You can't buy it. The only way to obtain such wines is to buy them in current release and cellar them. The typical cellar profile for Cabernet Sauvignon is that they will reach their peak about ten years after the vintage date. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Are California Cabernets Ageworthy? in California Wine is owned by Alan Boehmer. Permission to republish Are California Cabernets Ageworthy? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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