Don's Gillette's Wine Blog
Musings from our store's resident wine guru
Don has over thirty years experience in the wine industry. For the last eighteen years his attention has been focused on the growing local industry. Don has a large following of customers who search out his opinions (never in short supply!) on new releases and on what's currently most distinctive on our shelves. Others seek his insights on wineries and trends that are still under the radar. Read Don's full bio...
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Sometimes in Sonoma
Fine Sonoma Cabernets are so few in number that it is seldom one has reason to write about a vintage. How small is the field?
The greatest Sonoma Cabs come from Sonoma Mountain:, yet Laurel Glen, Benziger, Kamen, and Audellsa are the only real contenders here. The quality range, in a worthy vintage, is fine to great.
Alexander Valley is Sonoma's most famous Cab appellation. It was made so by the success of Silver Oak and Jordan, neither of which has attempted to produce great wine there for some time. The other bearers these days include estates like Lancaster, Simi or tiny Eric Guerra. The quality range is OK to very fine.
Dry Creek Cabernets are notorious for being heavy in tannin and frail of fruit, although higher elevation (Bradford Mountain) is certainly a plus factor and a few wineries (Rafanelli for instance) succeed fairly regularly. That being said, I have tasted more fruitless and bitterly short Dry Creek Cabs than I care to remember. It is certainly possible to make fine Cabernet here, but bad Dry Creek Cab is truly bad. The quality range runs dismal to fine.
The few Russian River Cabs still being produced are firm, racy-textured bottlings, notable for style, more than ripeness. The quality of winemaking here is very high, but there is scant reason to grow Cabernet at all. One rarely sees a poorly made wine, yet the best wines need age to be just very good.
Sonoma Valley Cabs are occasionally quite attractive and Sonoma Valley fruit is also used in some very attractive blends. The Sonoma County appellation however, is a broad one that is popular with many large corporate wineries, who generally do little to elevate its prestige. Their bottlings are frequently watery and/or dull. Again, higher elevation land usually helps.
The Chalk Hill area is capable of producing outstanding wines, but they are a rarity. The most interesting these days come from a newer producer called Demuth Kemos. They make darkly powerful Cabernets of fine ripeness but manageable tannin.
I said at the start that fine Sonoma Cabernets are so few in number that it is seldom one has reason to write about a vintage. Well 2006 is a good reason. For the first time in several years there is a cross section of fine Sonoma Cabernet available. If the opportunity arises, try any of these:
2006 Audellsa Cabernet Sauvignons
2006 Audellsa Summit Proprietary Red Wine (like a fine Pomerol)
2006 Eric Guerra Cabernet Sauvignon (a great value)
2006 Eric Guerra Ispiri Proprietary Red Wine
2006 Dumuth Kemos Chalk Hill Cabernet Sauvignon (cellar-worthy and full of guts)
2006 Kamen Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Mountain (a truly great, Margaux-like Cab)
When they are released, I am personally longing to taste:
2006 Benziger Tribute Proprietary Red Wine
2006 Laurel Glen Cabernet Sauvignon
I am keeping my eyes peeled and won't be surprised if Sonoma has more exciting '06s in store!