The Top California Cabs of 2008

The  Top california Cabs of 2008

#10. LAYER CAKE 2007 NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON $24.95 [#276500] 
We swear we didn’t intend for it to end up like this, but this has become a Jayson Woodbridge “bookend of a cover." While known for his cult Hundred Acre wines (see our #1 Cabernet of the year), his Layer Cake wines represent unique varietals from countries he and his team feel cannot be recreated or replicated. This 100% Cabernet was sourced from select vineyard sites along the Eastern hillsides of Napa Valley, aged in French oak and blended just perfectly to create a balanced and complex wine at an everyday price. Beautiful deep garnet color. Aromas of blackberry, cassis, violets, cedar, tobacco and hints of minerals and graphite. Sweet, densely packed and creamy in the mouth, but with firm, underlying structure that gives lift to the dark berry, chocolate and coffee flavors. This is a very lush, soft, complex wine that coats the palate and spreads out on the long, lingering finish.

#9. ROMBAUER 2004 NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON $32.99 [#277510]  SOLD OUT
The Rombauer family has been growing and producing in Napa Valley for over 30 years with an impressive track record. An important ingredient in this success story has been the winemaking presence since 1988 of Greg Graham, whose exacting standards have placed an inimitable stamp of quality on every varietal released. We at Hi-Time have watched the skyrocketing popularity of their white wine, but we feel that the Cabernet is equally as strong! This is a rich, concentrated wine that exhibits layers of plums, black cherries and blueberries that are well integrated. The wine shows ripe fruit flavors of black cherries and plums that are nicely balanced with light vanilla and oak from barrel aging. This is a fruit-driven Cabernet Sauvignon that has the tannin structure to last many years, but drinks well now!

#8. STEPHANIE 2005 NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON $49.95 [#268820]  SOLD OUT
Wine Spectator 93 Points - Stanly and Helen Chang have achieved international stardom with their Hestan bottlings, along with its second label, Meyer. Now they’ve come out with another bottling, Meyer’s sister, if you will, called Stephanie. The Stephanie is crafted by Jeff Gaffner (Saxon Brown), who was part of the team that assembled the 1996 St. Jean Cinq Cepages (Wine Spectator Wine of the Year for 1999). As with the previous releases, this horse has come out running and has already earned a score of 93 points from Wine Spectator! “A complex, rich and creamy-textured style, with layers of currant, mocha, wild berry and vanilla-laced oak, all folding together nicely. Tightly focused, long and persistent, with an excellent balance of tannins and acidity. Best from 2009 through 2015.”

#7. CAYMUS 2006 NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON $64.95 [#209170]  SOLD OUT
Wine Spectator 92 Points - The ever magnificent and perennial over-achiever Caymus Vineyards is, without a doubt, royalty among the Napa Valley producers. Since its inception, Caymus has been a vanguard of quality, ushering in worldwide recognition for the wines of California and regularly garnering high praise from all the wine industry publications. Wine Spectator correspondent James Laube has lauded the 2006 vintage to be on par with the spectacular 2005 and, following suit, Wine Spectator score this at 92 points, the same fantastic score as last year! Laube states: “Full-blown, ripe and rich, with intense and sharply focused dried currant, wild berry and blackberry fruit that’s still fairly tannic at this stage. Ends with a long, persistent finish.”

#6. PINE RIDGE 2005 RUTHERFORD CABERNET SAUVIGNON $39.99 [#251220] 
Pine Ridge is not only a staple of Napa Valley, their wines are a staple in the wine list of any fine restaurant, hotel or resort. Their wines continue to go from strength to strength and it doesn’t matter which of their bottlings you drink; they each exude terroir! Their most recent show stopper is their Cabernet from Rutherford, which gives a big knockout nose of briar, blackberry and blueberry, mixed with aromas of coffee, tobacco, vanilla, and that classic “Rutherford Dust.” Elegant in structure and balance, this medium to full-bodied Cabernet is teeming with cherry, blackberry and tobacco flavors with firm, cloaking tannins giving way to an extended finish of berries and toast. Once we tasted it, we knew it would somehow make its way onto our top wine list, and we’re very proud of this entry…bravo!

#5. ALTAMURA 2004 NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON $74.95 [#200500] 
Robert Parker 94 Points - Altamura is the only winery located in the Wooden Valley, located within the Napa Valley. Frank and Karen’s dedication to quality is shown by their decision to place a limit on the amount of wine they produce each year! What does that mean? It means that they have no problem cutting quantity by half if it will increase quality! Does it show in the wine? Staff members buy this wine each and every year and it has become one of our favorites. What do the critics think? Well, Mr. Robert Parker has scored this wine at 94 points! His tasting notes are: “I was blown away by the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, which spent almost 34 months in 70% new French oak barrels. The wine is beautifully impressive, with a deep ruby/purple color and notes of loamy soil intermixed with créme de cassis, cedar and licorice. The wine is full-bodied, powerful, but beautifully nuanced and nicely structured, with sweet, silky tannins. This wine should evolve for at least 20 or more years.”

#4. SPOTTSWOODE 2005 ST. HELENA CABERNET SAUVIGNON $129.95 [#262730]
Robert Parker 96 Points - The knowledgeable and talented ladies of the 40-acre Spottswoode Estate have been producing majestic wines for over 20 years. Winemaker Jennifer Williams and consulting winemaker Rosemary Cakebread have done their fair share to make this wine one of the more elusive, and high-scoring, Cabernets produced in Napa Valley. When we receive our allocation, it usually disappears from the shelves in a matter of days. However, we have received a little more wine this year and we’re ecstatic to be able to place this on our top wine list! “The prodigious 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate may be Spottswoode’s strongest effort since their superb 2002 and 2001. A deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by a classic bouquet of violets, graphite, blueberries and crème de cassis with hints of licorice and cedar. Stunningly pure and elegant as well as substantial and authoritatively flavored, this is a long, rich, concentrated wine with the grace of a ballerina. Give it 2-3 years of bottle age and consume it over the following 20-25+ years.”

#3. VICE VERSA 2005 NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON $110.00 [#271300]
SOLD OUT
This truly is one of those “what more could you want” type of wines! It’s an incredible project from Patrice Breton made by the reknown Paul Hobbs. This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from two of Napa Valley’s greatest vineyards; 50% from Stagecoach Vineyard and 50% from To-Kalon vineyard. With yields around 3.5 tons per acre only 350 cases were produced. In this vintage, the 2005 “Vice Versa” Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley exhibits the fine qualities of both To-Kalon and Stagecoach Vineyards. Excellent focus, balance, purity and precision are combined with an expansive perfume of liqueur de cassis, chocolate, licorice, grilled red peppers and spice. This juicy, complex, dark wine reveals chewy silky tannins and fine acidity giving structure and delineation to the beautiful fruit. Aged for 22 months in French barrels (80% new) and bottled unfined and unfiltered, this is without a doubt their best “Vice Versa” to date.

#2 GROTH 2005 “PREVIEW” RESERVE OAKVILLE CABERNET SAUVIGNON $185.00
[#227300] 
Wine Spectator 94 Points - The Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve has been the envy of the Napa Valley since the release of the 1985 vintage. It has received the ever-elusive 100-point score from wine critic Robert M. Parker, and it has even been placed on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list. The vineyard had to be replanted and the first release in 5 years, the 2005 Reserve, was released this year, receiving 94 points from Wine Spectator. So how do you “one-up” that? You find the very best barrel of the Reserve Cabernet, and you bottle it on its own! This is a Hi-Time exclusive, and only 10 cases were made! Its color is black as ink and the nose is redolent of blueberry, plum, flowers and graphite. The flavors follow suit, adding cherry, currant, cassis and hints of mocha, vanilla and a touch of oak. It retains all the characteristics of Oakville and keeps it in top-notch form. This is the comeback of the year!

#1 HUNDRED ACRE 2005 “ARK” NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON $250.00
[#230460] 
Robert Parker 94-96 Points - For years, we have touted proprietor Jayson Woodbridge’s commitment to the utmost quality and this year is no different. His style of winemaking, as well as that of his consulting winemaker Philippe Melka (also of Roy Estate, Lail, Caldwell and Gemstone), is has an artisinal philosophy that involves a hands-on approach to every decision in the entire winemaking process! Hundred Acre’s newest Cabernet bottling, “Ark,” is located at the base of Howell Mountain in the St. Helena AVA. The vineyard is steep hillside and is entirely farmed by hand with extremely low tonnages.  This vineyard possesses every characteristic a great vineyard should. Hundred Acre’s Kayli-Morgan Cabernet came out the gate with guns blazing and Ark is following right behind them with their own six-shooters! Robert Parker has scored this wine at 94-96 points! His notes are: “The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Ark is gorgeously rich, with a deep ruby/purple color and créme de cassis aromas intermixed with some graphite, licorice, espresso and spice. An opulent, fleshy wine with more noticeable tannic structure and earthiness, this wine will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and drink well for two decades.”