Best California Cabernet Sauvignon Wine
California's wineries have made real headway in the hierarchy of collectible wines. Since the early 90's, a few have set themselves apart as so-called "cult wines", largely because of their limited availability, and high quality (which comes at a price!) Rather than reciting that list of trophies, this list is based on overall quality and consistency between vintages - without reference to price or availability. These are the top 5 wines which you can buy in any vintage and enjoy for drinking or cellaring until optimal maturity. While there are specific vintages of other wines which may rival or ultimately surpass these wines individually, these are the wineries which exemplify excellence each time a bottle is opened.
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Why it's best:
Few would dispute that Harlan is the king of California's cabernets. Year-in, year-out, this cult wine produces wines of extraordinary structure, complexity, depth, power and class. When money is not an issue, the safe dollars are spent here for not only drinking...read full review
Why it's a best pick: There is magic in the soils from which Shafer's Hillside Select originates. In superlative vintages this gives all the cult wines a real run for money though far more reasonably priced. In lesser vintages these vineyards are immaculately groomed to produce con... read full review
Why it's a best pick:
Joseph Phelps' flagship wine, Insignia, has won nearly every blind tasting of new-relases in which I have ever tasted it. With an uncanny blend of early-drinkability and aging potential, its a real winner every year. Though not nearly as expensive or rare as many of the wine... read full review
Why it's a best pick:
Pride Mountain makes both a regular cuvee and a reserve label. Both wines are exceptional, though the reserve label rightfully scores higher. That said, what puts Pride Mountain's on this list is the remarkable consistency in quality - these soils are seemingly impervi... read full review
Why it's a best pick:
I am somewhat torn on putting Colgin in the top 5, not because there isn't tremendous quality here every vintage, but because the difference in quality between great and lesser vintages is big. Ultimately I decided to include this winery because the worst vintages are ... read full review
This list of California Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wines is a fine example of the potential for greatness that California has as a wine region, especially Napa and Sonoma.
