California Cabernet 2014: Panel tasting results

Our three-strong panel has blind tasted and rated 174 wines from the vintage. Below, Premium members can be among the first to see which wines came out on top, with an introduction to the vintage by Karen MacNeil and a report on the results by Tina Gellie.

One hundred million dollars-worth of destruction – that’s often the first thing that comes to a Napa Valley producer’s mind when you mention the California 2014 vintage.

The figure, from analyst Rob McMillan at Silicon Valley Bank, is an estimate of damages that resulted from a 6.0-magnitude earthquake that ripped through the valley at 3am on 24 August 2014.

The harvest was already well underway, having started early on 30 July with grapes intended for sparkling wine.

More than 60% of Napa Valley’s 450-plus wineries sustained damage – mostly to structures, machinery, barrels and wine in vats. Much of the Cabernet Sauvignon, luckily, was still on the vine.

‘The earthquake traumatised us all,’ says Phillip Corallo-Titus, winemaker for Chappellet Winery. ‘But the vintage itself was stellar. All season long, the weather was even; there was so little stress on the vines. It was like an open run on goal.’

Quick Link: View all 174 wines from this panel tasting

Perhaps with one impediment: the drought. For the fourth year running, Napa Valley was deep into a severe water shortage. Every morning during the winter of 2013/2014, Napa residents awoke to yet more sunshine. In fact, the winter was one of the driest on record in the state.

In February and March, furious rains brought some relief. By April the weather was dry again, setting the grapes on a perfect course toward bud break.

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From the winemakers

‘I love the 2014s,’ says Cathy Corison, owner and winemaker of Corison Winery. ‘I was worried at first because the 2013s are so lush. The 2014s were more brooding at first but have since blossomed. They have a harmony and unity that define a great vintage.’

‘They are seductive,’ agrees Phillippe Melka, consulting winemaker for more than 20 top small Napa estates including Lail, Tusk, Dana and Vineyard 29. ‘But it was important to move quickly at the end, to avoid long hang-time and keep the wine’s natural freshness.’

‘Great Napa Cabernet is all about diurnal temperature shifts,’ says Corison. ‘And 2014 was full of cool summer nights. There aren’t many places in the world where Cabernet basks in 32°C temperatures during the day, and goes to sleep at night at 10°C.’

The old idea that Californian Cabernet is sweet, alcoholic and lacking in complexity is just that – an old idea. Vintners who weather earthquakes and wildfires, vintners who stare straight into the jaws of global warming, become highly sensitised to the climatic nuances of their place.

When Nature gives them half a chance, California’s winemakers make Cabernets of great structure and beauty. As they did in 2014.

The scores

174 wines tasted

Entry criteria: producers and UK importers were invited to submit their 2014 Californian Cabernet Sauvignons (minimum 75% of the variety)

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 4

Highly Recommended 50

Recommended 84

Commended 29

Fair 7

Poor 0

Faulty 0

See all 174 wines from the panel tasting

More about the results

With 79% of wines Recommended or above, this is clearly a solid vintage, but our experts were hoping for more top scorers. Tina Gellie reports on their findings:

Extremely competent Cabernets, but no real showstoppers, concluded our trio of experts, from what they deemed an approachable but inconsistent vintage.

‘I’d hoped for a greater number of magnificent wines,’ said Stephen Brook. ‘Yes, we had a few, and many very good wines, but I was disappointed there weren’t more that knocked my socks off.’

Alex Hunt MW agreed, but added: ‘I have come to expect that of Californian Cabernets. While a deservedly world-class category of wine, it’s not where you look for guaranteed fireworks.’

Much of this had to do with money, Hunt explained, where so much was at stake that few producers could afford to take risks. ‘It is the equivalent of endless beige interiors in super-prime apartments: there’s no doubt about the impeccable taste and opulence, but you just wish for a piece of funky art – a bit of danger, risk or excitement – to disrupt all that uniformity.’

Brook commented that expectations of annual blockbusters were now so high in California, with critics’ scores driving sales, it forced winemakers to play it safe. ‘People might be insulted by our 91 or 92 points, but that is high praise from us! That probably equates to 95 or 96 in American scoring,’ he said.

Stefan Neumann MS urged readers to remember there was no single Napa Cab taste profile, particularly amid the swathe of generic Napa Valley wines, which here showed vast differences in quality and style.

According to Brook, consumers shouldn’t assume that generic Napa Valley wines were of lesser quality than those with a specific AVA on the label. ‘You get bargain-basement Napa, but some of California’s top wines, such as Insignia, are released as “Napa Valley”, as they are blends of different AVAs. Others may actually come from a designated AVA but have traditionally always been sold under the generic designation.’

Nevertheless, when focussing in on specific AVAs within Napa, our tasters found a clear step up in quality.

For Brook, Stags Leap District was his favourite: ‘poised, balanced, lovely’. Oakville stood out for its ‘gorgeous texture – velvety, seductive wines’, while Mount Veeder impressed with ‘intensity and freshness’.

Hunt felt that the vintage conditions benefited these valley-floor AVAs, giving them better balance and more consistency than higher-altitude areas in Napa such as Howell Mountain, which Brook found ‘hefty, with a few wines worryingly tired’.

The anomaly was the low-lying Rutherford AVA, which Brook said ‘had bizarre variation: rich, imposing wines but also many delicate and lower in alcohol but with no staying power’.

Away from Napa, our experts agreed that the few entries from Santa Cruz Mountains were peerless in their freshness, drive and energy; Paso Robles was true to form with big, brash, fruit-driven wines; and Alexander Valley justified its reputation as the standout area in Sonoma for Cabernet Sauvignon.

In general, the panel was happy with the overall quality of winemaking, the biggest criticism being for ‘simplistic’ wines that lacked the natural acidity or tannin structure to balance the opulent fruit, generous oak and high alcohol levels.

Neumann summed up 2014 as an ‘accessible, joyful, characterful vintage’, offering Cabernets that could be enjoyed over the next few years, with the best bottles cellaring well beyond 2030.

Our tasters each pick their top 3 wines from the tasting:

Stephen Brook

Brook has been a contributing editor to Decanter since 1996. He is the author of almost 40 books, including The Complete Bordeaux, now the definitive study of the region, and The Wines of California, which won three awards. His most recent book is The Wines of Austria. Brook also fully revised the last two editions of Hugh Johnson’s Wine Companion.

Mount Eden Vineyards, Santa Cruz Mountains 2014

In the Santa Cruz Mountains, Ridge usually gets the attention, but Mount Eden occupies the neighbouring ridge, where Jeff Patterson farms old vines, making exceptional wines in top years. This is beautifully balanced. 96 Drink 2020-2030

Sequoia Grove, Rutherford, Napa Valley 2014

This family estate producing sensibly priced wines is a dependable Cabernet property, with vines in the prestigious Rutherford. This is still reserved, but it’s firmly fruity with fine ageing potential. 96 Drink 2020-2030

Inglenook, Rubicon, Rutherford, Napa Valley 2014

In the past I found this icon blend too tannic, but since 2007 it’s been on top form, possibly thanks to ex-Margaux winemaker Philippe Bascaules and consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt. Velvety and elegant, this should age beautifully. 93 Drink 2019-2031

Alex Hunt MW

Hunt is purchasing director for Berkmann Wine Cellars. He became a Master of Wine in 2010, completing a dissertation on ripeness trends in California, and receiving the Madame Bollinger Medal for excellence in tasting. He wrote a regular tasting column for JancisRobinson.com and has been a DWWA judge for over a decade.

Mount Eden Vineyards, Santa Cruz Mountains 2014

Manages the rare feat of being immediately delicious while also standing up to aesthetic scrutiny. Opposite so many tiring heavyweights, it gets more interesting the more you sip, thanks to terrific balance. 97 Drink 2020-2030

Martin Ray, Diamond Mountain 2014

In this often rather conformist region, it’s exciting to find wines that march to the beat of a different drum, yet still maintain a high level of quality. This shows off Cabernet’s wild side without sacrificing harmony: bravo! 94 Drink 2019-2027

Smith-Madrone, Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley 2014

Green notes are a key part of Cabernet’s aroma, yet often suppressed in California. How refreshing, then, to find them lifting the juicy fruit of this wine to another level of complexity. 94 Drink 2020-2030

Stefan Neumann MS

Neumann is head sommelier at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, a two-star Michelin restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park hotel in London. He has previously worked for restaurants The Fat Duck, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxford, Restaurant Hotel Obauer in Salzburg and Steirereck in Vienna. He became a Master Sommelier in 2017.

Mount Eden Vineyards, Santa Cruz Mountains 2014

Hedonistic superstar! Unrivalled focus and elegance with a drive and focus that outshone all others. I ordered some immediately after results were revealed. 95 Drink 2020-2030

Sequoia Grove, Rutherford, Napa Valley 2014

This took me by surprise for its beautiful intensity and for being so approachable in its youth. Winemaking director Mike Trujillo has said: ‘I love Cabernet that tastes like Cabernet’ and I do too! 94 Drink 2020-2030

Inglenook, Rubicon, Rutherford, Napa Valley 2014

A wine that has continued to surprise me from the 2012 vintage onwards. Nothing is greater than to taste the rebirth of a legend. This is great now, but will be even better if you can hold onto it for a few years. Bravo, Inglenook, and keep on pushing! 90 Drink 2019-2031

Californian Cabernet: the facts

Total Cabernet Sauvignon under vine: (2016) 34,230ha

Napa Valley: 7,914ha

Paso Robles/San Luis Obispo: 4,933ha

Sonoma County: 4,778ha

Livermore: 387ha

San Joaquin (Central Valley): 4,559ha

Californian Cabernet: know your vintages

2016 A near-perfect growing season progressed evenly with warm days and cool nights. The wines show every sign of being extraordinary

2015 After five years of drought, vines produced a small crop. An excellent vintage, marrying 2013’s concentration with 2014’s accessibility

2014 Below-average crop of open, generous wines with good depth and balancing acidity. More serious than 2012, more accessible than 2013

2013 Warm summer and below-average crop of small, thick-skinned grapes gave concentrated, firmly structured wines of fabulous quality

2012 After a delayed budbreak, the warm summer saw even temperatures, with cool nights. Wines have delicious fruit; the best show minerally verve

2011 A challenging year: cool with above-average rainfall. The resulting wines are complex, sleek, fresh, fascinating and highly regarded

Top 2014 California Cabernets from the panel tasting:

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