Wineguider wine reviews

I’ve noticed a funny thing with cabernet this year.  That being, I can’t find one that I like.  So we set up a shootout and recently tried these 2010-2011 cabernet sauvignons, over a period of two consecutive nights.  Listed in no particular order:

• $25 – Raymond Napa Valley Reserve: 2010
• $10 – Rodney Strong (Sonoma County): 2010
• $24 – BV Rutherford (Napa Valley): 2010
• $11 – Chateau Ste. Michelle (Columbia Valley, Washington): 2010
• $11 – Toasted Head (Mendecino and Lake County, CA, just north of Napa): 2010
• $10 – BrisAndes (Colchagua Valley, Chile): 2011

After careful imbibing, we conclude that none of these wines is worth recommending.  (At much lower prices, maybe.)  Maybe because the 2010 growing season was tough in California, as reported by Wine Enthusiast here.

What we tasted was either overly simplistic sweetness (Chateau Ste. Michelle, Raymond), or excess green pepper/vegetal flavors mixed with unidentifiable oaky goulash (Toasted Head, BV Rutherford).  What all of these cabs had in common was weakness.  No punch, no “wow”.  Just boring.

The best value was probably the $11 Toasted Head, a result loudly predicted by this video review.  (And I mean loudly!  WAKE UP!)  However I don’t think it is worth $25, as they said, or even $11, which is why I am not recommending it.

The BrisAndes offered up musty basement and sour rhubarb, coming in last place.  My favorite regardless of price was probably the most restrained, the BV Rutherford.  But no way was it worth $24.

Bottom line:  I recommend avoiding 2010 cabernet sauvignons, which is a lot of what’s out there now (Spring 2013).  I haven’t found any 2011’s that float my boat either.  Someday, California will excite us again.

We might not have to wait long.  The 2012 growing season appears to have been absolutely fantastic.  Check out this report.

Cheers,

Wineguider