It produces some of the most highly coveted and collectable cabernets in the nation and is sort of wine nerd favorite, with the vast majority sold through a membership cub, and they all sell out. Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (2019, $225): Going even further afield from Napa and Sonoma, this is the cult winery - one of the oldest family-owned and operated wineries in Washington – that put the state on the luxury wine map, Quilceda Creek makes nothing but the most acclaimed Cabernets in the Pacific Northwest, and was founded in 1978 with the single-minded purpose of making world-class cabernet. It’s hard not to drink but if someone brings you a bottle, you can keep it for decades. The 2018 is their most elegant Patrimony Cabernet to date, merging a great tannin structure with a layered and complex rainbow of flavors that explode in the mouth, with chocolate, blackberries, cedar, blueberries, caramel and more. I had the pleasure of co-hosting a Japanese wagyu and wine pairing dinner with them in Vegas several years back and came away hugely impressed. Brothers Daniel and George Daou are legendary winemakers most famous for arduously and scientifically seeking out the very best terroir plots for the particular grape varietals they want to grow, and chose the Adelaida District as the optimum spot to create world-class Bordeaux-style blends. But Paso Robles wines keep getting better and better, and Patrimony is a great example of why you sometimes need to look beyond the place name when choosing an exceptional wine. Patrimony Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (2018, $275): I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Paso Robles, and while it’s no longer a hidden gem, it still gets shaded by the powerful shadow Napa and Sonoma cast over consumers reading California wines labels. While it’s pure Napa - fresh, dense and fruit forward - it is also complex, with finesse and balance, not the hit you over the head manner of some New World cabs. It’s a Bordeaux-style blend, and the 97-Point (Wine Enthusiast) 2019 is 81% cabernet with the balance merlot, petit verdot and cabernet franc. In the four plus decades since, it has become one of America’s most famous, acclaimed and collectible reds, and is always produced from the very best estate grown grapes in Napa’s Rutherford. His wine portfolio is very large and varied, but this is the flagship, and Coppola launched Rubicon in 1978 with the express purpose of creating a fine wine competitive with the world’s best, and he succeeded. He purchased the famed Inglenook Chateau in 1995 and later the rights to the Inglenook labels. Inglenook Rubicon (2019, $225): I’m not big on “celebrity winemakers,” but Francis Ford Coppola is different, a true wine lover who parlayed his Oscar wining movie success into vines early, acquiring his first Napa Valley vineyard in 1975 with Godfather proceeds. Inglenook's Rubicon is one of the world's great wines and comes in a size for every holiday need. The prices go down as you scroll down, so don’t be scared. Most of these wines will keep getting better and basically age for as long as you want them to age, but most of them can be enjoyed tomorrow. Top retailers will often offer older vintages of these same labels. But in compiling the list below, I put extra emphasis on food friendliness, and these are great cabs that make for great meals.įor most of these the currently available vintage is 2018 or 2019, but older is usually even better, because big cabs at rebuilt to age for years or decades. Good cabernet is a versatile holiday dinner pick that is also good on its own and failsafe as a gift. The final festive factor? You will likely find yourself having to bring a bottle to someone’s house or event this holiday season, and there’s pretty much nothing on the list below that any host will turn their nose up at. There’s a reason why big cabs are often s described as “chewy.” Whether you’re watching fireworks or sitting on the deck overlooking the beach at sunset, it’s hard not to love a good cabernet. A big, fruit forward full bodied one is a meal in a glass. There’s a reason why this category includes the priciest and most collectible wines on earth - they are great on their own. But you don’t need any food at all to enjoy a great cab.
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