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CABERNET SAUVIGNON VINTAGES
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Connoisseurs’ Guide ranks vintages on the basis of finished wines tasted, not on the basis of press releases or isolated barrel samples. We limit our comments to Cabernet Sauvignon because it is the one California varietal that leads to reasonably reliable results in the manner of European vintage evaluations.
Our rating terminology relies on description rather than points because California vintages are rarely uniform and thus should not, in our opinion, be described in a narrow manner.
EXCEPTIONAL—A vintage in which almost all wines, whether limited production and expensive or made in volume, participated in achieving results that are at the top of their respective ranges.
VERY GOOD—A vintage in which more wines than not achieved highly admirable results.
ABOVE AVERAGE—A vintage in which many wines excelled but many also struggled.
AVERAGE—A vintage in which a few wines excelled but most did not rise above acceptable to above average.
BELOW AVERAGE—The rare California vintage in which many wines fail to rise to enjoyable levels.
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2001
Now coming to market, the wines of 2001 look to be fairly concentrated if somewhat less intense than the Cabernets of 1999. On the other hand, many wines are lower in alcohol and seem to lend themselves to aging. Quality appears to be Very Good.
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2000
A somewhat underrated vintage in which too many wines achieved average quality but which also has produced a large number of very good wines. Above Average quality with mid-term aging potential for top wines.
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1999
As 2000 has been underappreciated, so too is 1999 slightly overrated. There are so many rich, fruity offerings with mid-term to long-term aging potential that the vintage rates as Above Average to Very Good, but 1999 produced more than its share of overripe, alcoholic wines and selectivity as to style is critical.
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1998
Much maligned by the “early predictors” of vintage quality, the mixed bag of 1998 wines counts within it more average wines than not, but it also includes a large selection of wines with suppleness, richness and layered complexity. Average to Above Average with a few superb bottlings.
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1997
A much heralded but somewhat overripe vintage, 1997 has produced an admirable crop of concentrated, deep, somewhat muscular wines. The leaders will age for two to three decades. Very Good to Excellent.
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1996
Wines of this vintage are bit dry at their hearts and maybe maturing a bit early, but they are also showing well at this writing and the vintage is not the disaster that some have suggested. Average to Above Average.
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1995
Ripe, concentrated, compact wines that seem to want long aging form the reputation of this vintage. Yet, today, many are drier than expected and raise troubling questions about longevity. Still, this is a vintage that should be cellared because its better wines are not opening up as yet. Above Average to Very Good.
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1994
This vintage has yielded ripe, succulent wines that may reach their peaks in ten to fifteen years rather than twice that long. Yet, as they gain their tenth year, the best are still youthfully alive and beginning to acquire the richness of age. Rated well when the wines appeared, then re-evaluated when the sturdier '95s arrived, this vintage is one whose potential for longevity is ultimately based on splendid fruit rather than on structure. Very Good to Excellent.
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1993
A lesser vintage in which wines gained ripeness without center, it is, like so many California vintages, still noteworthy for the several remarkable wines produced. Average quality overall.
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1992
Perhaps our least favorite vintage of the ‘90s, it produced a few very good wines and a mountain of average bottlings whose muscle and mass may have caused some unwarranted enthusiasm. Average quality.
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1991
People who like classic structure and tight wines in their youth rated this vintage highly from the outset. And, true to that assessment, a few of the best will be as long-lived as any from the decade. However, many have not opened up fully, and, while the vintage is good, it is not better than that. Above Average to Very Good.
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1990
Much like 1994, the wines of this vintage are open, fruity and rich, and much like 1994, they are aging well. Still, most are ready now and only the best will last another decade and more. Very Good.
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1989
A wet and rainy harvest affected all varieties, including the hardy Cabernet Sauvignon. Early reports called the year a disaster, and, indeed, it has been for the lesser end of the quality spectrum, but those who limited production and selected carefully have produced wines that rise well above the humdrum reputation of the vintage. Average quality.
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1988
Initially thought to be of higher quality than their 1989 peers because the weather was more accommodating, the wines of 1988 have turned out to be less well-filled than the better 1989s, and very few have reached high levels of quality or rewarded long cellaring. Below Average to Average.
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1987
Mixed results ranging from ripe and balanced to soft and early maturing have left this vintage in the backwaters of collectors’ attentions. Average to Above Average with some Excellent results that should not be ignored.
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1986
Ripe and open wines, sometimes with low acidities characterized this vintage, and most bottlings have reached full maturity. They were highly enjoyable at their peaks and are still of some interest to collectors. Above Average to Very Good.
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1985
Called the “Vintage of The Century” early in its life, this one has proven to be something of a disappointment in retrospect. In its youth, the wines boasted lovely, soaring aromas and tight structures and led virtually everyone to premature praise. With time, it is clear that too many wines lacked the staying power to offset their higher than normal acidities. Still, the best 1985s are the best wines of the ‘80s. An Average to Above Average vintage, it produced some stunning wines that will hold up for another decade or two.
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1984
A much loved vintage for its ripe, open, deep, expressive wines, it has turned out to be almost as good as expected, and only the low-acid, soft bottlings among the quality leaders are letting down at this point. At two decades old, it is rewarding vintage. Very Good with some Excellent results.
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1983
Reminiscent of 1993, the wines are ripe and structured but rarely achieved depth and complexity. Only the best survive intact. Average quality.
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1982
Somewhat underappreciated in the sense that many mountain vineyards produced wines that have depth and further aging potential, the sometimes thin wines of 1982 struggle further in comparison to the ideal Bordeaux wines of the same vintage. Mostly Average with some Very Good results.
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1981
Much like 1983 in overall quality, the year is a little lighter in style and perhaps a bit less tannic. Wines are mature. Average quality.
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1980
A cool growing season ending in a harvest-time heat wave yielded many Cabernets with high ripeness and high acidity. The wines were deep, outgoing and balanced for the most part, but also fairly straightforward and wanting greater complexity. Most are now fully mature with the best holding well. Above Average to Very Good with some surprising misses from the top producers.
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1979
Late rains made things difficult, and, for every success, there were many more disappointments. Only a few survive. Below Average to Average.
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1978
A ripe, concentrated year of a type that has become more normal in the 90s, this one delivered many quality wines, and, to our great surprise, several of the best are drinking spectacularly in their third decade. Very Good with some Excellent results.
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1977
A year in which very few Excellent wines were made, it is proving to be as unexciting in its dotage as it was in its youth. Average quality at best.
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1976
A rainy harvest all but killed off the whites, but the reds outlasted the clouds and yielded ripe and rich wines that have now seen better days. Above Average at its peak.
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1975
Following the succulent ‘74s and the ripe, structured ‘73s, wines of this harvest were typically firm, balanced and less intense. 1975 is judged as Average to barely Above Average overall, but do not overlook some wines from the Napa Valley floor which remain in tip top condition, making this one of the longer-lasting vintages.
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1974
Easily one of the best if judged by its top bottlings that still rate among the most exciting in our tasting experience, 1974 produced lots of succulent, open, fruity wines that somehow did not age as well as expected. Our Very Good assessment is based on its wines at their earlier peaks, but legendary wines of the vintage will, indeed, continue on in good shape into their fourth decade.
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1973
Responsible for less-deep but perhaps more-layered and better-structured wines than 1974, this vintage was ignored by too many, who then had to eat their words as the best ‘73s held on while their softer ’74 counterparts were folding their tents. Very Good quality.
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1972
The worst vintage in last 35 years, it was so wet that many vineyards went unpicked or had burst berries from all the water they absorbed. A few wineries refused to release wines, but, surprisingly, a handful of producers came through with Above Average results. Still, this one rates as Below Average overall.
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1971
1971 was a useful vintage that rated as Above Average in its prime and produced lighter but enjoyable wines that lasted well but are now past their best.
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1970
The best vintage in our experience, and easily rating alongside such legendary harvests as 1951 and 1958, the year was marked by early frosts that reduced crops substantially and by tiny berries full of flavors. Some of the 1970 wines, tasted in the last few years, are absolutely spectacular even now. Excellent vintage.
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1969
Greatly underrated, perhaps because of the spectacular quality achieved in both 1970 and 1968, this somewhat lighter vintage has shown amazing longevity for some wines and is appreciated by collectors and wineries alike as deserving to be included in the top ranks. Very Good to Excellent.
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1968
An altogether spectacular vintage and rightfully assessed as one of the best ever, 1968 is a year whose wines are now mostly tired, but the biggest and deepest still survive. Excellent.
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