Our Splurge Wine feature
often begins with a Celebrity Splurge
Wine quote. Here, food and wine professionals,
as well as other celebrities who have
a passion for fine food and wine, answer
the following question:
"It depends on what
kind of woman I have with me."
Cabernet Sauvignon is still
considered to be California’s flagship
wine. Its classic concentrated black cherry
and plum fruit, accented with an array
of spice, herbs, tobacco, and cedar, becomes
a powerful but supple, vanilla oak-laced
blockbuster wine in the hands of California
winemakers. To our minds, a bunch of Americans
who got to know California Cabs first
and best in our personal wine histories,
it tastes like home.
But wow. Those prices do
just keep going up. And like it or not,
California Cabernet has become more of
a special occasion wine than an everyday
one. With some notable exceptions (bottles
from Hess Collection, Carmenet, Sebastiani,
Chateau Souverain) the high quality wines
start at $25, quickly jump over the $30
mark, with a whole bunch over $60, and
up from there.
We’ve recently tasted
several wonderful California Cabernets
that we unreservedly recommend as being
beautiful realizations of California’s
now classic winemaking style. We have
several bottles squirreled away for upcoming
holiday occasions. Any of these would
be great choices for your next splurge
moment:
($48).
Beautifully structured, offering elegant
layers of currant and concentrated black
cherry fruit, cedar, tobacco, and mocha
– all on a ripe, tannic frame. Outstanding
finish that lingers and evolves. Delicious
now and should age beautifully for at
least four or five years.
($24). Ripe red
cherry and concentrated blackberry fruit
is accented with mint and toasty vanilla
oak. Serious tannic structure would benefit
from additional bottle age (or decant
it for a few hours; we did!). This would
be a great wine to pair with bold, hearty
food – think something like a pepper-crusted
steak!
($28). Concentrated blackberry and black
plum fruit is studded with licorice, tobacco,
spicy cedar and toasty oak. Big tannic
structure would benefit from decanting
or aging. Very good now, and will continue
to improve over the next six or seven
years.
($35). Focused black cherry and blackberry
are smoothed out with luscious plum fruit.
Accents include mint, spice and cedar.
Lingering finish picks up toasty oak and
more herbal notes. All beautifully packaged
and framed on solid but well-integrated
tannins. Ready to drink now and over the
next six or seven years.
($33). Jammy red cherry and berry fruit
plays off mocha, leather, and spice, with
toasty vanilla oak emerging on the generous
finish. Wonderful now and over the next
five or six years.
If you have questions, comments,
or Splurge Wines to suggest, please write
us at editor@wineskinny.com.
For past Splurge Wine picks,
click here.
