I was able to attend a 3-day private event in Napa, co-organized by a company together with the Wine Advocate. There were winery visits, dinners, lunches and a 2007 Napa Masterclass guided by Robert Parker and Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW. A really fantastic few days with great learning opportunity. Robert Parker was, as always, his down to earth, friendly self, spending lots of time talking with participants. I really adore him for not having become even a bit aloof after all the fame and accolades. Like his ratings or not, but that is classy!
You will notice from my scores that I have not given a 100 points to any wines despite having consumed the peak of Napa during this event. I find the Napa CabSav aromatically a touch below the 3 digit score. Also, some of them are too “sweet” for my palate (eg, Peter Michael, Hundred Acre). However, they are very consistent vintage in and vintage out, much more so than Bordeaux. I am of course nit picking here, but that is just my taste. So, feel free to mentally add 2-3 points per wine if you are a fan of riper/richer CabSav style.
Napa Master Class
Flight 1
2007 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve, 93 Points
During a Napa 2007 horizontal tasting guided by Robert Parker. Nose of dark fruit, earth, quite rustic and heavily charred oak but not uninteresting. Impression gets confirmed on the palate. Ripe fruit with serious tannins, rustic but not drying. A step down from the cult wines in this line up but held its own.
2007 Cardinale, 91 Points
During a Napa 2007 horizontal tasting guided by Robert Parker. Ripe nose of cake, bakery, gingerbread, lots of oak, not much secondary aromas. The palate is bold and big, sweet, spicy tones as well adding complexity. Dry finish at the end from the tannins. This looks like a wine that has suffered from hydric stress and warm weather because the volume is rich but the phenolic ripeness lagging behind.
2007 Colgin Cariad, 96 Points
During a Napa 2007 horizontal tasting guided by Robert Parker. Here we go, the first wine that convinced me. A small 550 case production, 70/30 Cab/Merlot blend. Nose of blue fruit, licorice, gingerbread, aristocratic. Velvety texture on the palate, good finish. Reminds of Dominus stylistically. Modern, but well done.
Flight 2
2007 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon, 98 Points
During a Napa 2007 horizontal tasting guided by Robert Parker. Very different nose than the wines before, next to blue fruit there is red fruit here, cherry, cassis, ripe but not overripe, ostentatious. On the palate much silkier than the wines before, elegance and volume well balanced. I can see the triple digit here.
PS: After I tasted through 5 red wines from this estate over the next two days, the 2007 was the best of them. Stylistically I would describe the house style as follows: 1. Hallmark is its freshness and silky tannins. These wines are not Napa bruisers. 2. Quality is good but it remains a mystery to me why this has become the cult wine among all Napa cult wines
2007 Peter Michael Les Pavots, 93 Points
During a Napa 2007 horizontal tasting guided by Robert Parker. Nose of pine tree, oak, cake, cherry, clearly on the ripe side. On the palate there is a sweet impression that confirms the search for ripeness here. I wish for more complexity and structure here.
2007 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, 97 Points
During a Napa 2007 horizontal tasting guided by Robert Parker. Nose of blue fruit, some stalky notes, blueberries, touch of licorice. Full bodied palate but not over the top, creamy tannins, really nice. A very complete CabSav front to back.
Flight 3
2007 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select, 96 Points
During a Napa 2007 horizontal tasting guided by Robert Parker. From clay soil. Fantastic nose of dark fruit, cassis, pine, eucalyptus, herbs. Wow. Massive palate, full bodied, lots of layers, a bit too rich for my taste. A touch dry on the finish. 96+
2007 Hundred Acre Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Deep Time, 92 Points
During a Napa 2007 horizontal tasting guided by Robert Parker. Nose of dark fruit, chirstmas cake, blueberry jam, very ripe already in the nose. Palate confirms impression, a rich sweet “vin de confiture” as the French wold say. This is the wine where I differ the most with the WA score, liked it the least in this fantastic line up.
2007 Lokoya Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder, 97 Points
During a Napa 2007 horizontal tasting guided by Robert Parker. Brooding nose of dark fruit, smoke, pine tree, this is the most Bordeauxesque nose, Latour like. Massive structure on the palate, lots of tannins, masculine, vulcanic, smoky aromas on the finish. Characterful but a tad rustic. Liked this as well.
Flight 4
2007 Abreu Thorevilos, 98 Points
During a Napa 2007 horizontal tasting guided by Robert Parker. This wine has apparently lots of CabFranc in the blend and it shows. Leafy nose of underbush, herbs, mint, greens, intermixed with ripe dark fruit, blackberry. Wild on the palate as well, lots of tannis but not drying. I am almost thinking Bandol. A very interesting wine, different to all CabSavs I had this week in Napa. Were it not for the rusticity of the palate it could add a point or two. Definitely worth trying once despite the hefty price.
2007 Harlan Estate, 97 Points
During a Napa 2007 horizontal tasting guided by Robert Parker. Nose of dark fruit, blueberry, touch of smoke and torrefaction. Big wine on the palate, soft and succulent at the same time, structure is just about right for the volume. A very complete CabSav start to finish.
Author: Christian Raubach, WSET III, FWS, WSG Champagne Master
November 2016