California Wines
California Wines
With a history of wine production that dates back to the 18th century, California currently sits as one of the world’s most prolific and reputable wine regions. With an area as vast as California, you can expect a colorful collage of terroir profiles, a series of microclimates, and micro-environments that give the wine a unique, memorable appeal. The region’s produce is far from homogenized in that sense, and it would take you countless hours to sample all of it.
While the region boasts scars from the Prohibition era, it went through what can only be described as a viticultural Renaissance sometime after the 1960s. At that point, California went from a port-style, sweet wine region to a versatile and compelling competitor on the world market. Today, no matter which way your taste in wine leans, you can find a new favorite producer among California’s most talented.
Notable sub-regions include legendary names like Napa Valley and Sonoma County, places that any wine lover worth their salt would die to visit. California’s quintessential warm climate allows for incredibly ripe fruit expressions, a style that provides a stark contrast to Old World-inspired, earthy classics. Even where inspiration was clearly taken from staple French appellations, Californian winemakers put their own unique spin on the wine, making it feel like a unique, standalone piece, rather than a derivative.
A New World region rises to join its viticultural forebears. Its meteoric rise to fame has been nothing short of stunning, and today California can compete with the world’s most prominent wine regions.
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1985 Dunn Napa Cabernet Sauvignon94WSIntense and concentrated, packed with ripe cassis, cherry and currant flavors that are rich and elegant. The acidity and tannins are crisp and juicy, offering great potential for t..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $299.00 -
1986 Joseph Phelps Insignia94RPThis surprisingly rich, dark garnet-colored Insignia displays notes of cedarwood, tobacco leaf, black currants, graphite and damp earth. Medium to full-bodied with remarkable densi..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $359.00 -
1987 Silverado Napa Cabernet Sauvignon92WSSmooth, ripe and harmonious, with layers of black cherry, plum, currant and anise, finishing with a smooth texture and a long, lingering aftertaste.--1987 California Cabernet horiz..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $239.00 -
1992 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon99RPThe year 1992 was the second most abundant year for Spottswoode, producing 5,713 cases, with the final blend 6% Cabernet Franc and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon. This was a classic N..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $375.00 -
1994 Etude Cabernet Sauvignon95RPTony Soter's Cabernet Sauvignon has been a model of consistency. The awesomely rich 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon is another spectacular example of this splendid vintage. It possesses an..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $159.00 -
1995 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon97RPA blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, and the last wine made by Pam Starr at Rombauer Vineyards, the 1995 offers worthy competition to the magnificent 1994, whic..." Learn MoreAs low as $289.00 -
1996 Pahlmeyer Merlot97RPThe 1996 Merlot (3,000 cases) is a worthy rival. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, this blend of 93% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc tips the scales at a heady 14.6% alcohol. Could it b..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $249.00 -
1997 Araujo Eisele Cabernet Sauvignon92+VMFull ruby-red. Expressive nose combines black raspberry, currant, black cherry, chocolate, tobacco and sandalwood. Lush and sweet but fresh, with a firm edge of acidity giving shap..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $649.00 -
1997 Etude Cabernet Sauvignon96RPThe 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon (1,800 cases), which will be released in October, ranks alongside the finest Tony Soter has produced. Don't miss it! Opaque purple-colored, with a gorge..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $175.00 -
1997 Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon Estate98RPThere are 10,200 cases of the remarkable 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate. Opaque purple-colored with a dense, chewy, full-bodied personality, it displays abundant cassis, mineral, a..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $1,399.00 -
1997 Opus One100DECJumps out of the glass, another one that stands out among the very best in the line-up; intense, well integrated flavours, blackberry, menthol, black olive, spiced rosemary and liq..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $670.00 -
1997 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon98RPThe 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon has to be one of the great buys left for profound Napa Cabernet. He’s done the aging for you, and of course the wine is still an adolescent in ter..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $845.00 -
1999 Pahlmeyer Merlot94WSA mouthful of wine that packs in lots of rich, deep, plush and concentrated flavors, with tiers of currant, blackberry, raspberry and wild berry fruit. Well-integrated tannins smoo..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $175.00 -
2002 Carter Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Vyd100RPA perfect wine, the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard comes from further north in the Oakville Corridor on the valley floor. One of the youngest wines in this t..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $675.00 -
2003 Colgin Herb Lamb Vineyard95WEAlmost black in color. Flavors are of blackberry, cassis, Provençal herbs; the 100% new oak adds rich toast and char notes. Tannins are brilliant, dense and fluffy. Grown at..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $399.00 -
2003 Lokoya Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon100RPA perfect effort is the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Keyes Vineyard from Howell Mountain. There are 524 cases of this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Its extraordinary perfume of graphite, spr..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $359.00 -
2004 Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mtn94RPReticent but promising blackberry and black currant fruit as well as licorice aromas jump from the glass of this inky/purple-colored 2004. Rich and broad with sweeter tannins than ..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $215.00 -
2005 Vineyard 29 Cabernet Sauvignon95RPThe east-facing hillside Vineyard 29 turns out superb Cabernet Sauvignon, but again there is not much of it. While the Cru negociant Cabernet Sauvignon represents 3,000 cases, ther..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $235.00 -
2007 Abreu Cappella97RPDeep garnet in color with a touch of purple, the 2007 Cappella Proprietary Red needs just a little coaxing to begin, but it soon opens out with flamboyant crème de cassis, m..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $449.00 -
2007 Anderson's Conn Valley Eloge98RPThe 2007 Eloge is a profoundly complex, extraordinary wine that is showing better out of bottle than it ever did from barrel. The final blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Caberne..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $229.00 -
2007 Verite La Muse100RPA perfect wine, this blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec emerges from Chalk Hill (48%), Knight’s Valley (21%), Alexander Mountain Estate (21%) and Bennett V..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $499.00 -
2007 Vineyard 29 Cabernet Sauvignon98RPThe flagship wine, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard 29 Estate, is an extraordinary effort. Performing even better than it did last year from barrel, this 100% Cabernet Sauvigno..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $539.00 -
2008 Cain Five96JSPlenty of spicy dried berries, iodine and light earth. Bark and lead pencil, too. Medium to full body and firm, polished tannins. Savory, so complex and long. 61% cabernet sauvigno..." Learn MoreFormats Available:As low as $125.00
