Though less than half a century old, and remarkably young compared to its European counterparts, the wine industry in California has managed to enchant the country’s wine buying public as well as receive accolades from “across the pond.” This may be because of two realities. First is the undeniable quality of the wines—remarkably fruity, full and satisfying, rarely too austere or tannic to be savored from the first day. The second is the “buy American” angle. A very high number of American wine buyers simply prefer domestic to foreign wines.
The state plays host to an enormous range of microclimates and soils as well as a lot of sunshine, hot summer days and dry harvests. All these factors contribute to healthy ripe fruits that make European producers, in less dependable climates, green with envy. More than three out of every four years, California’s best sites produces excellent wines.
The U.S. is not protectionist when it comes to taxing imported wines compared to many other countries, but the California wine industry is inherently protected because of consumers wanting to buy American.
To most people, the Napa Valley is the home of California wine, and Cabernet is the clear king in Napa. Burgundy varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir have moved to cooler areas, for the most part closer to the Pacific. This includes the western stretches of Sonoma County, the Anderson Valley in Mendocino County, and the Santa Maria and Santa Ynez valleys of Santa Barbara County. In regions as contrasting as Mendocino County, the Sonoma coast, Carneros, Paso Robles, and Santa Maria Valley, Syrah vines have yielded interesting wines. Excellent Zinfandel is also produced all over the state and may be the only California wine emulated abroad.
Vinous, 93 points: Lindstrom's 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon has turned out beautifully. Deep, intense and richly textured, the 2014 graces the palate with an intriguing array of black cherry, plum, graphite, licorice and spice overtones. Rich...
jamessuckling.com, 92 points: Lots of ripe fruit to this cab with dried berries, cherries, currants and chocolate undertones. Full and powerful, yet there's a freshness and firmness to it all. Drink in 2021, but very approachable now in a...
Wine Enthusiast, 93 points: This producer is well respected for its long reputation of making ageworthy whites and this vintage is no exception, a bright, complex and nutty expression of pear and ginger cookie. Textured and restrained, it shows a...
Vinous, 95 points: The 2014 Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard bristles with energy. Rose petal, mint, white pepper and blood orange give the Alpine its super-appealing aromatic upper register, but there is plenty of depth lurking beneath. Here the...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points: The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Block 96 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and a sensational effort from Somerston Estate. The wine has a sweet core of blackberry and cassis fruit, an opaque purple color, gorgeously integrated new...
jebdunnuck.com, 97 points: The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Mon Chevalier comes from a hillside in Knights Valley and is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. It offers sensational notes of crème de...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 93 points: The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Cru is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance other Bordeaux varieties, such as Petit Verdot, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Its sees about 50% new French oak and is a relatively...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points: The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate, from a site that sits on the valley floor at a slightly lower elevation than the Vineyard 29 Estate, is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet...
Vinous, 92 points: An addition to the range, the 2014 Cuvée Number One is essentially a blend of different clones from the Lakeview Vineyard, which is in the Green Valley appellation, within the broader Russian River Valley. The 2014 is a...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 96 points: A complex, layered 2014 that doesn't skimp on texture, the 2014 Pinot Noir Hapgood has loads of black cherry, dried herbs, sandy soil, licorice and spice box to go with a full-bodied, supple, layered, yet still focused...
Wine Enthusiast, 92 points: Ripe red cherries and red currants provide the fruit scents for the savory smoked pork and sanguine raw-beef qualities that power the nose on this single-vineyard bottling. Those bloody meats mix with elderberry, ripe...
Vinous, 94 points: Morlet's 2014 Pinot Noir Coteaux Nobles is dark, vibrant and polished. The flavors are wonderfully nuanced. In 2014, the Coteaux Nobles offers its typically profile of dark red stone fruit and spices, but with an extra...
jebdunnuck.com, 95 points: The inky colored 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is a classic blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot that spent two years in mostly used barrels. It offers a beautiful, elegant, yet...
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 95 points: 95+ It is excellent, but not one of the great efforts from this iconic winery situated on the eastern Vaca hillsides above the Oakville corridor. That said, the 2014 Maya Proprietary Red may not be as perfect as the 2013...
jebdunnuck.com, 99 points: A blend of 53% Cabernet Franc, 21% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Malbec, the 2014 Le Desir is monumental stuff that has a Château Ausone-like character that’s hard to describe. its vibrant purple color is...
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