![]() (Robert Whitley's Creators Syndicate column this week.) Isn’t that the very definition of value? Posted by Robert Whitley at 11:32 AMĬonsistency Marks Sayre Era at Rodney Strong I would even argue that compared to the “cult wines”, these Napa Valley icons are every bit as good while substantially less expensive. My simple point is that there is a place for these super premium wines. I’ve omitted a number of my favorite producers such as Corison, Far Niente, Nickel & Nickel, Cakebread, Beringer, Diamond Creek, Grgich and Duckhorn, but only because of space constraints. Caymus Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon has long been on everyone’s short list of Cabs that best demonstrate the concentration and complexity that can be achieved by Cabernet Sauvignon in the Napa Valley. ![]() Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon has been devoted to uncompromising winemaking since its inception, and to this day is among the most cellar-worthy Napa Valley Cabs.ġ0. Silver Oak Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon emulated Beaulieu’s embrace of American oak cooperage and went against all conventional wisdom by aging its Cabs five years before release.ĩ. Beaulieu Vineyards Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was for decades the Napa Valley’s benchmark Cabernet Sauvignon.Ĩ. It was the perfect marriage of Bordeaux and the Napa Valley.ħ. Opus One was the collaboration between Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Chateau Mouton. Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is the flagship wine of the Napa Valley’s flagship winery.Ħ. Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon helped put the legendary winemaker Tony Soter on the map.ĥ. Joseph Phelps Vineyards Insigia was the Napa Valley’s first proprietary Bordeaux-style Meritage red blend. Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cask 23 Cabernet Sauvignon exemplified owner Warren Winiarski’s description of Stag’s Leap (the region) Cab being an iron fist in a velvet glove.ģ. Wine enthusiasts were appalled when the 1974 vintage was introduced at the scandalous price of $15 a bottle. Heitz Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon was among the Napa Valley’s earliest stars. Bear in mind that these wines are all classics that were once relatively inexpensive, increasing in price only as their reputations grew.ġ. It is actually quite long, so I’ve whittled it to my Top Ten. When I began to assemble a list of the exceptional wines that I would be willing to spring for at $100 or more a bottle, I assumed it would be a short list. This conversation will be limited to iconic wines people actually drink. Those wines can fetch upwards of $1000 per bottle and are hot commodities on the auction circuit. Most of our iconic wines in this country are Cabernet Sauvignon-based reds from the Napa Valley.įor purposes of this discussion, let’s leave out the ridiculously expensive so-called “cult wines” such as Screaming Eagle, Harlan and others of that genre. But I like the fact that I either have a few such bottles in my cellar or can lay my hands on a bottle or two if an occasion arises that demands a memorable wine. ![]() I do not drink wines of this ilk every day. They deserve our attention because they’ve established a position of prominence and stature in our wine culture. They deserve our attention because their track record is impeccable. They deserve our attention because of their rich history. Still, there are expensive wines that deserve our attention. You are absolutely right if you believe, as I do, that outstanding wines do not have to come with an outlandish price tag. I, too, roll my eyes whenever I come across a wine I’ve barely heard of that’s priced in the $100 range. If I laid it at the feet of supply and demand, an astute observer of the wine scene could point immediately to any number of wines that are both obscure and pricey. Many readers ask why some of these wines cost so much. I do, however, enjoy the occasional visit. Rest assured, when I visit my favorite wine merchant I don’t dwell exclusively in the high-rent district. A couple of weeks back I also recommended the new ‘Insignia’ from Napa’s Joseph Phelps Vineyards – at a cool $200 a pop. This week you will find a wine in my Creators Syndicate Wine Talk tasting notes that retails to the north of $100 a bottle. ![]() (Robert Whitley's Creators Syndicate Wine Talk column for this week.) Ten Napa Valley Icons You Can Take to the Bank ![]()
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