Cabernet Lovers--You Can Overcome Napaddiction

“Napa Valley” and “Cabernet Sauvignon” go together so often they almost seem synonymous. But there are some fine Cabs being made outside Napa, and they’re usually more reasonably priced.

Cabernet is happy to grow in a wide variety of vineyard sites. It makes decent wines from as far south as Paso Robles to as far north as Washington’s Columbia Valley. There is a difference, of course, between the great wines of the world and their good but less magnificent relatives. The wines here may not always be filled with the currant-like, loamy, rich, expensively oaked qualities found in the $100 (and higher) wines that rule the roost in Napa and Bordeaux.

But even when Cabernet isn’t world class, it is capable of delivering attractive fruit and solid structure with a sinew not so easily captured (or even desired) in Zinfandel, Merlot or Pinot Noir. One of the great things about Cabernet is that it can be so enjoyable even when the wine is a little bit on the tough side. That does not change even when the grape is grown in places that are not the all-hallowed Napa Valley.

1999 Boeger Winery, El Dorado, $13. This wine doesn’t knock my socks off--very few Sierra foothills Cabs do--but it has solid Cabernet structure and hints of varietal character to go with its somewhat blunt construction.

* 1998 Raymond Burr Winery, Dry Creek Valley, $35. A bit pricey, even though it seems a bargain when tasted next to some Napa Cabs selling for twice as much, this wine from a weak vintage captures enough richness and depth to make up for the slight shortfall in fruit that follows.

* 1999 Canoe Ridge Winery, Columbia Valley, $25. In general, the red wines of the Columbia Valley tend to be on the luscious and supple side, but this youngster has apparently forgotten where it’s from. It is open in aroma but tight and tannic on the palate. You will like its distinctive black cherry fruit and its engaging richness, but you will probably like it better in three to five years when it has had a chance to soften.

** 1998 Chateau Ste. Michelle “Reserve,” Columbia Valley, $30. Like its neighbor above, this impressive wine starts with open, rich and complex aromas, but this time the flavors are just deep and complex enough to rate an extra star. Its engaging nose of raspberry and currant follows through in fairly deep flavors that are well carried by the wine’s supple texture. Only in the finish do tannin and alcohol make their presence known. It will be better in a few years, but very few Cabernets anywhere in the world rival this superb effort for the combination of high quality and value.

* 1999 Justin Vineyards, Paso Robles, $20. In theory, the hot climate of Paso Robles is better suited to Zinfandel and Syrah, but Justin Vineyards and others are showing that Cabernet can thrive there when properly grown and handled. This wine is all about ripeness, with its compact, concentrated black cherry and dried herb nose and its notes of chocolate. As with so many wines from Paso Robles, the center is open and fleshy. In this case, the wine’s moderate tannins allow that center to come through. It is very tasty stuff right now and will age for another three to five years.

** 1997 Kenwood Vineyards “Artist Series,” Sonoma County, $70. Yes, this is an expensive wine, but it’s also a very serious one. Kenwood’s “Artist Series” Cabs are a bit rough-hewn, but often they are also deep and complex. In 1997, a good vintage for Cabernet, the wine is filled with cassis and ripe black cherry fruit with vanilla and a hint of sweet earthiness for complexity. If not wildly tannic, the wine nonetheless has mass to go with its depth and will age for at least six to eight years.

$* 1999 St. Francis Vineyards, Sonoma County, $16. Here is an open, rounded Cabernet whose ripe cherry, vanilla and creme brulee aromas have the layering of more expensive wines. This one may lack the depth and age-worthiness one sees in more substantial (and more expensive) bottlings, but it comes with only a little of Cabernet’s usual muscle and, thus, is ready to drink right away.

*

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***A world-class wine, superb by any measure, the top 1% to 2% of all wines tasted.

**An exceptional wine, well worth the effort to find, 10% to 12% of wines tasted.

*An admirable wine, tasty, focused, attractive, about 25% of wines tasted.

No Rating: The best are quite pleasant and can be good buys when moderately priced.

$Good value for the money.

Below average quality, to be avoided.

This column is based on tastings conducted by Connoisseur’s Guide to California Wine, a monthly newsletter devoted to the critical review of California and West coast wines. Readers of The Times may obtain a sample copy by sending their name and address to: CGCW, P.O. Box V, Alameda, CA 94501, by calling or faxing (510) 865-3150 or by e-mailing CGCW@aol.com.