California Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 and 2018: panel tasting results
This major tasting included the wildfire-hit 2017. No ill-effects were evident, but the 2018s won the day among the many high-scoring wines.
Michelle Cherutti-Kowal MW, James Doidge MW and Stefan Neumann MS tasted 164 wines, with six Outstanding and 69 Highly Recommended.
California Cabernet Sauvignon panel tasting scores
164 wines tasted
Exceptional 0
Outstanding 6
Highly recommended 69
Recommended 85
Commended 2
Fair 0
Poor 0
Faulty 2
Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit wines from both or either vintages 2017 and 2018 made with at least 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, from any region of California
Cabernet Sauvignon is a grape made for California. It excels in the long, sunny, warm and dry summers, enabling it to gain good physiological ripeness, and its thick skin means it can stand up to California’s sunshine.
It is the most widely grown, with more than 38,000ha planted in 2020 (NASS/ USDA, April 2021). Given its wide range of altitudes and terroirs, California can grow and make Cabernet Sauvignon to suit all styles and palates. And, as the 1976 Judgement of Paris tasting showed, California Cabernets can stand alongside the world’s best.
Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top-scoring Californian Cabernets
Given the eclecticism of the wines that Decanter requested for this tasting (see ‘Entry criteria’, above), we tasted according to vintage, starting with the youngest, then with unoaked before oaked.
What was it that we enjoyed so much?
I and my fellow judges were enthusiastic to taste two vintages of California Cabernet and, as we discovered, in 2017 and 2018, vintage did make a difference. ‘2017 was a vintage of highs and lows,’ said Stefan Neumann MS. There is no doubt that it was a challenging one in California. The year started out promisingly – five years of drought ended, with plenty of rainfall over the winter and a mild spring that slowed down flowering.
The summer was dry and hot, culminating in a heat spike in early September that caused some vines to shut down, stopping ripening. Wineries had to make hard decisions around whether to let grapes ripen further or pick. The wildfires, which started on 8 October, had minimal impact on grape quality as most of the harvest was done. We detected no smoke taint.
The results?
Some very good 2017 wines with balance and finesse, but wines that had a high degree of alcohol with unripe tannins. ‘I was less surprised by the high alcohol, more by the green tannins,’ said James Doidge MW. For Neumann there was ‘lots of variation’. There were some elegant wines but, equally, plenty that were over-extracted and lean; ‘skinny wines’ is a term often associated with the 2017 California Cabernets. There were no real standouts as far as AVAs or regions.
This is a vintage where you need to trust the reputation of the producer and buy accordingly.
The 2018 vintage also started off with plenty of rain during the winter season and a cool spring, but in contrast to 2017, the 2018 growing season was long, warm and without any significant heat spikes. On average, most regions picked two to three weeks later than in 2017, with the longer hang-time ensuring good phenolic ripeness. Grapes were plentiful and healthy, with ripe fruit and tannins, and lots of body. In general, ‘the wines were consistent’ said Neumann, ‘representing all regions and styles – plenty to choose from’.
Click here to see notes and scores for all 164 wines
2018 is a quintessential California vintage: big, bold, fleshy wines with lots of weight, oak and alcohol. ‘But the high level of alcohol did not mean out-of-balance wines,’ said Doidge. The best displayed the perfect combination of fruit and structure with integrated oak and balanced acidity.
Single-AVA wines performed well, with Alexander Valley and Rutherford the most approachable, consistent and balanced. Not surprisingly, mountain AVAs had an extra layer of aromas as well as freshness, along with power and tannic structure. In particular, Diamond Mountain, Mount Veeder, Santa Cruz and Stags Leap District stood apart for their elegance and long ageing potential.
Overall? 2018 is a wine lover’s vintage. Buyers will be rewarded regardless of AVA or producer and, given the high volume, there are plenty of wines to satisfy everyone.
The top-scoring Californian Cabernet Sauvignons:
The following wines all scored 91 points or above
The judges
Michelle Cherutti-Kowal MW is a wine consultant, lecturer, writer, judge and a WSET educator. A Regional Chair at DWWA 2021, she consults to restaurants and wineries, as well as acting as an ambassador for wine trade bodies.
James Doidge MW is buyer and managing director at The Wine Treasury, a specialist importer in London. He has a particular interest in the wines of the Americas and southern Europe, where he travels and tastes regularly. He became a Master of Wine in 2021.
Stefan Neumann MS is an independent master sommelier running his own wine consultancy. A DWWA judge since 2017, from 2022 he is also the DWWA Regional Chair for Switzerland.
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