Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.latimes.misc From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Vintage California Date: Fri, 13 Nov 92 06:18:51 EST Message-ID: HEADLINE: Vintage California Publication Date: Thursday November 12, 1992 BYLINE: DAN BERGER An advertising campaign for wine once touted, "Every year is a vintage year in California." Like much advertising, this one did not contain all the truth. While the variations are more subtle than in regions like Bordeaux, where the weather can occasionally turn really ratty and ruin a crop, all California wine-growing regions show differences in wines from one year to the next. To evaluate the vintages of the last decade, I decided to look at the Cabernet Sauvignons of Silverado Vineyards and Caymus Vineyards, two of the most consistent properties in the Napa Valley. Silverado is located in the Stag's Leap region, Caymus in Rutherford. Both use only grapes from their own vineyards, and neither Silverado's Jack Stuart nor Caymus' Chuck Wagner have varied their techniques in years. Below are the results of these tastings, with my rating of the quality of the vintage listed on a 10-point rating scale. 1981: A warm growing season accelerated development and forced an earlier than normal harvest, making for lighter wines. Silverado is still fruity and elegant, with a wonderful aged bouquet. Caymus is leaner and a trace more herbal, but with a Bordeaux-like finish. A vintage not very highly rated by some, but I give it an 8 on a scale of 10. They are wines of elegance rather than power. 1982: It rained before harvest, then got hot, shooting the grape sugars a bit too high in some plots while some fruit didn't mature enough. Both the Silverado and Caymus wines are rich and plummy, with the Caymus being a bit more generous. Neither improved in the glass and, in fact, aeration actually hurt both wines. This vintage was initially rated very highly by some, but I have never liked the overripe nature of the fruit. Rated 5. 1983: A cool, even growing season was marred by spotty rain before harvest, followed by a short, very hot period. Both wines are awkward, with the nod going to the Silverado, which missed the rain. There is hardness in both wines, however, showing the awkwardness of the vintage. Rated 3. 1984: It was a warm season with no rain, but a hot August pushed the grapes along faster with an earlier harvest than all but 1981. The Caymus is still youthful but with a trace of raisins in the nose. The Silverado had cherry jam that faded in an hour into plums. Both had great extract and heavy tannins, but both appear to be good aging wines, on their way to greatness. Though others might be less generous, I rate the vintage 8. 1985: A long, not-very-hot growing season produced generous to opulent fruit and fully developed, classic flavors. Caymus produced a marvelously complete, elegant wine. Silverado's is darker with more black cherry, violet and clove notes. It gets the edge here. Some rate this vintage near-perfect; I give it a 9. 1986: Rain and floods in the spring were followed by warm weather and an early flowering of the vines. A spring rain reduced the crop size, and the long, cool summer that followed produced excellent fruit. Caymus' Cabernet is a bit more elegant, with good cherry and dill notes; Silverado made a deeper, denser wine than most in the valley, a wine Stuart calls "a wowser." I find great charm and depth in this vintage and rate it 9, higher than most. 1987: A rare heat wave in May that reduced the crop was followed by mild weather and a perfect harvest. The Caymus and Silverado wines are quite similar, showing amazing floral and herbal notes, both with spiced cherries. Both are impeccable wines. Some rate this vintage only very good; I rate it a 10, one of the best ever in the Napa Valley. 1988: A rare spring hailstorm followed by a false warming that sent the vines into premature flowering resulted in very uneven ripening and a small crop. Caymus and Silverado made nice wines (both with a trace of fresh dill in the nose), but both are slightly more tannic and backward than usual. I rate the vintage a 6, with some wines (including these two) warranting more consideration. 1989: A cool vintage with late rain was followed by a dry period and a later-than-normal harvest. It could have been a disaster, but luckily there was no humidity, so no rot developed. Caymus and Silverado made absolutely splendid wines, though slightly lighter and more elegant than some. The Caymus has cedar, spice, violets and dill, with vibrant fruit in the mouth and a great tart finish. The Silverado is even better, with elegant fruit/spice, cherry and herbs. Neither wine is for long-term aging, but both are terrific. I rate the vintage a 7, though some wines are not this good. The 1988 and 1989 vintages are in the marketplace now, though some shops and restaurants may still have small amounts of 1986 and 1987. The 1989 Caymus has a suggested retail price of $20 but may be seen for $16 in most discount shops. The Silverado is listed at $16 and occasionally is seen at about $13.50. For those who like to find older vintages, Silverado has a small amount of three available through its tasting room or by mail. The 1983 and 1987 are $20; the 1988 is $16. For details, drop a note to Silverado Vineyards, 6121 Silverado Trail, Napa, Calif. 94558. As a postscript, I rarely rate vintages before the wines are released, but based on sampling a dozen wines and on the comments of a dozen winemakers, I feel the 1990 Napa Valley Cabernets, which will begin showing up next spring, could be among the best ever made. Prices should be about the same as the not-quite-as-good 1989s. Wine of the Week 1992 Beringer Nouveau Gamay Beaujolais ($7.50) --Seven weeks ago, this wine was still grapes! Its release this week marks the earliest shipment of a nouveau wine I have ever seen. No wonder the grape-y, almost sweet taste of the fruit is so amazingly fresh. The aroma is heady with raspberry, cranberry and strawberry notes all vying for attention. A number of California wineries make a nouveau-style wine similar to the Beaujolais of France, but with the price of the French wine rising past $10, perhaps the time of the domestic version has come. The wine could make the start of a great Thanksgiving tradition. 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