California vineyards have been making wine long before my time of drinking it.  During their early years, when California wine makers were trying to compete with the French and gain a little market share, avid wine drinkers were focused on imbibing more than they were cellaring these creations from the West.  California had not been producing long enough to know what would happen to these wines a decade or more later.  They did know, however, it was great juice at incredible prices, and the wine makers were using cutting edge hedonistic interpretations of what wine should be.

What does this mean to the wine world?  With small productions, the scarcity of older California Cabernet is real.  Let me be the first to tell you, if you are lucky enough to have some in your cellar consider yourself blessed or if you are one of the fortunate few able to get your hands on some, GRAB IT! 

The great thing about these wines is the price has not seen true appreciation like any 20 year old Bordeaux would see.  Reviewers haven't re-visited the wines and thus the scores are out of whack.  This lack of recent reviews keeps the prices honest and affordable.  Every time I pull a cork from a 1990's California Cabernet I yearn for more.  There may be an assumed lack of prestige involved in a wine that has a Parker score of 91 or a Spectator score of 92 but then you look at when it was reviewed...a year after production.  There is nothing lacking in these old and wise wines other than the quantity available.  I challenge you to make your own opinion and bring to the table an exciting wine that is elusive and mysterious as wine should be. 

Last night I shared an older Californian wine with a few friends over a nice dinner.  The wine was a bottle of 1995 Buehler Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.  Upon pulling the cork it was apparent that we were going to be in for yet another treat from California.  The cork was deep purple and showed its age yet was still intact and showed no signs of deterioration.  After the initial blow off of hay and grass the wine began to encompass the terroir of California.  Menthol and Eucalyptus set the olfactory into the high gear of the soul as the smell of cherries and wildflowers reminded me of a run through a cherry orchard that is in full bloom!  The palate was vibrant and brought more red fruits to the forefront of the wine.  A touch of cedar rounded out this medium bodied diamond in the rough from California.  I give it a strong 94 and at least 5 more years of life. 

If you are interested in this or other back-vintage Cali Cabernets, keep an eye out for our newest cellar acquisitions or call and speak to one of our wine experts.