Murphy’s top 40 California Cabernets

Wines from the 2015 vintage, listed by region

Napa Valley Kapcsándy Family Winery, Grand Vin,

Yountville 96 N/A UK www. kapcsandywines.com Pure, focused, refined and energetic; it’s hard to believe this came from such an intense vintage. The family’s State Lane Vineyard is the source of their red grapes, and Merlot adds suppleness. Black raspberry, Asian spice, modest oak, firm acid and tannin backbone, with a juicy, racy finish, make it a joy to drink now and well into the future. Drink 2020-2032 Alcohol 14% Cardinale 94 £ 166-£ 250 (2014) Crump Richmond Shaw, Farr Vintners, Grand Vin, Millésima It’s the rare Napa Cab that drinks beautifully on release and then through a decade or more. Decandently plush and juicy, with lifted floral aromas and smooth, seamless tannins. This sports great verve and polish on the palate, with oak, ripeness, acidity and alcohol all in balance. Drink 2019-2029 Alc 14.7% Inglenook, Rubicon, Rutherford 94 N/A UK www. inglenook.com Owner Francis Ford Coppola has a gem with winemaker Chris Phelps, formerly of Swanson Vineyards, Dominus and Petrus. He joined in 2016, working with Château Margaux’s Philippe Bascaules to reshape winemaking here. The Cabs are fresher, more elegant and balanced; this 2015 is fleshy and generous, without being extracted. Drink 2019-2029 Alc 14.5%

Lokoya, Spring Mountain District 94 £ 333-£ 350 (2014) Fine & Rare, Christopher Keiller Credit high-elevation grape-growing for this tightly wound, almost brooding wine under which lurks succulent, vibrant wild berry fruit and lively acidity to match. Impeccably balanced for its size, it still begs to be cellared for at least five years and decanted. Still, it’s the most approachable of the four Lokoya Cabs from the mountains. Drink 2024-2034 Alc 14.5% Newton Vineyard, Yountville 93 £ 124-£ 154 (2014) Justerini & Brooks, Christopher Keiller Of Newton’s three AVA-specific Cabernets, the Yountville is the most impressive at this stage. Fresh lavender and dried herb aromas get a smoky-oak accent, while the palate offers ➢

cool than blue the nose and black suggests. fruit, Poised, with less pure chocolate and oak complete. Drink 2020-2031 Alc 14% Pine Ridge Vineyards, Stags Leap District 93 £ 152.99 (2014) Liberty Wines Small amounts of Petit Verdot and Malbec add dimension to this rich, powerful wine that wears its alcohol well. It’s ultra-vibrant in its wild blackberry character, with a lingering, juicy finish. Tobacco leaf and spicy oak on a firm tannic structure. Drink 2021-2034 Alc 14.8% Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Fay, Stags Leap District 93 £ 150-£ 158.99 Blanco & Gomez, Hedonism The most polished of the producer’s top-tier Cabernets, this is supple and mouthfilling, with a backbone to support the richness. Layers of briary blackberry, cedar, sandalwood and spice unfold. Drink 2020-2030 Alc 14.5%

Accendo Cellars 92 £ 260-£ 290 (2014) Hedonism, Latimer Vintners After selling Araujo Estate and Eisele Vineyard, Bart and Daphne Araujo purchased this winery in St Helena and created Accendo. Their 2015 Cab is in the opulent style of Araujo, yet dialled back with less new oak. Plump dark fruit, hints of chocolate and barrel char, along with lively acidity. Drink 2019-2028 Alc 14.8% Corison, Sunbasket Vineyard, St Helena 92 £ 180 Roberson Sunbasket Vineyard was planted by André Tchelistcheff in the 1950s. Cathy Corison bought fruit from here for 25 years, before purchasing it in 2015. This Cabernet has deeper fruit aromas and flavours than her estate bottling, with a juicy cherry and blackcurrant core, notes of black olive, forest floor and mint, judicious oak and lively acidity. Drink 2020-2032 Alc 14% Pride Mountain Vineyards, Vintner Select 92 N/A UK www. pridewines.com Pride’s vineyards straddle both Napa and Sonoma. This mid-tier wine comes from the Napa side of the Mayacamas. Bright, curranty fruit, paired with creamy oak, polished tannins and nervy acidity are its hallmarks. Drink 2019-2030 Alc 14.5% Realm Cellars, The Bard, Stags Leap District 92 £ 109-£ 126 Crump Richmond Shaw, Fine & Rare, Four Corners, Turville Valley Wines Realm has taken over the former Hartwell winery, yet winemaker Benoit Touquette remains. Physically it’s a work in progress, though the 2015 Cabs are splendid. The Bard is

seamless and rewarding, with vibrant wild berry fruit and oak notes, plus pert acidity. Definitely a producer to watch. Drink 2020-2028 Alc 14.5% Robert Mondavi Winery, Reserve To Kalon Vineyard, Oakville 92 N/A UK robertmondaviwinery.com The seductive cassis nose is accented by hints of camphor and forest floor. Blackberry, blueberry and black raspberry fruit alongside black peppercorn and baking spice. Sinewy tannins plead for ageing. Drink 2023-2033 Alc 14.5% Staglin Family Vineyard, Rutherford 92 N/A UK www. staglinfamily.com The vintage produced pretty floral aromas alongside the black fruit. Inviting and delicious in its youth, it has enough stuffing to go the distance for a decade or more, with firm tannins, juicy acidity and beautifully ripe black cherry, plum and blackcurrant fruit. Not a blockbuster by Napa standards, yet delivers the goods in a balanced serving. Drink 2019-2032 Alc 14.5% St Supery, Rutherford Estate Vineyard 91 N/A UK www. stsupery.com The addition of a Rutherford vineyard has lifted this producer’s Cabernet game significantly. Invitingly floral on the nose, it offers perfectly ripe dark cherry and berry flavours, judicious oak and mature tannins. California-generous, with a fresh finish. Drink 2020-2030 Alc 14.5%

Chappellet, Signature 90 N/A UK www.chappellet.com Chappellet makes a more decadent Cabernet Sauvignon, yet this one stands out for its lively berry fruit, subtle herbal notes and measured barrel spice and toast character. Reasonably priced for the quality. Drink 2020-2027 Alc 14.5% Cliff Lede, Stags Leap District 90 £63 Four Corners Wine Lede produces several Cabs with fanciful names, though this flagship can be counted on year after year for its textbook Stags Leap character, with crushed blackberry, graphite and liquorice notes. Subtle minerailty and toasty oak complete the package. Drink 2021-2028 Alc 15% Gallica Wines, Oakville 90 £ 190 Pol Roger UK Owner and winemaker Rosemary Cakebread adores Cabernet Franc and blends a good amount of it into this wine. The Franc lends floral aromas and a brightness to the concentrated and dense palate, with a café latte creaminess and forest-floor, savoury edge. Approachable now. Drink 2020-2028 Alc 14.5%

Mt Brave, Mt Veeder 90 £75-£85 (2014) Fells, Hedonism A brambly, Zinfandel-like fruit intensity that comes from relativley new plantings ( 1999 to 2008). New French oak lends toast and spice notes, plus dark chocolate and liquorice. Intense and very young. Drink 2021-2033 Alc 14.5%

Ramey Wine Cellars, Annum 90 N/A UK www. rameywine.com David Ramey’s proprietary red blend is polished and plump, with juicy red fruits, a medium-tofull body and supple texture. Not so much soft as it is nicely integrated and seamless, this is a pleasure to drink now and will be for another 10 years. Drink 2019-2029 Alc 14.5%

Raymond Vineyards, Reserve Selection 90 £ 34.50-£ 36.42 Corking Wines, Exel, Strictly Wine Deeply fruited and concentrated, this is a showy wine, sure to please many with its richness, chocolate-covered-cherry profile and hints of liquorice and tar. Varietal complexity comes through in leafy herbs and cedar. It’s modern, for sure. Drink 2019-2026 Alc 14.5%

Signorello 90 N/A UK www. signorelloestate.com This winery was destroyed in the 2017 Napa wildfires, yet it lives on through this wine, which was safely stored in a warehouse. It’s classic Signorello, with oak framing the bold black and blue fruit. Muscular and dense now, it will likely benefit from cellaring. Drink 2021-2031 Alc 14.5%

Spottswoode Estate, St Helena 90 POA Four Walls, Handford, Hedonism This iconic, organic estate has undergone replantings, with wines becoming riper and richer as a result of the new non-virused vines. Yet the Spottswoode signature remains in

this Cab’s perfume, lifted fruit, supple tannins and oak spice. The acidity is a marvel for such a warm site. Drink 2020-2030 Alc 14.5% CADE, Howell Mountain 89 N/A UK www.cade.com Luxurious texture, with jammy blackberry and dark cherry fruit make this a thoroughly modern Cal Cab. Lavender, chocolate, espresso and pie crust are among the many descriptors for this extravagant wine. Drink 2019-2026 Alc 15.2% Far Niente, Oakville 89 £ 104-159 Clos & Cru, Corking Wines, Great Wines Direct, Wine Poole More ripe and extracted than in past vintages, this remains a balanced rendition of modern Napa Valley Cab. A hint of raisiny sweetness pervades, though the texture is supple with mature tannins. It speaks to the vintage – a thing not all Cal Cabs do. Drink 2019-2026 Alc 14.5% Lail Vineyards, J Daniel Cuvée 89 £ 205 Four Corners Wine This wine comes from Robin Lail, descendant of Inglenook founder Gustave Niebaum. It’s heavily reliant on smoky, chocolatey oak and ripe dark fruit, made in a soft, supple style that has many fans. The finish is surprisingly fresh and long. Drink 2019-2026 Alc 15% Frog’s Leap Winery, Rutherford 88 £ 35-£ 53 AG Wines, Berry Bros & Rudd, Eton Vintners, Highbury Vintners, Noble Green, Raffles Fine Wine, Sonvino I admire this winery’s commitment to producing varietally true, lower-alcohol, unflashy organic Cabs that belong on the dinner table. Herbal and crisp, it’s a fruity option in a sea of supercharged Cabs. Drink 2020-2028 Alc 13.5% Quintessa, Rutherford 88 £ 180 The Wine Treasury Soft in structure and warm in ripe red fruit, it’s a crowd-pleasing style that cannot be dismissed in the US. Caressing tannins and a gentle herbal inflection add interest to this drink-soon wine. Drink 2019-2024 Alc 14.5%

Sonoma County

Cornell Vineyards, Estate 93 N/A UK www.cornellvineyards.com An exceptional Sonoma Cab that’s still finding its strengths. Consulting winemaker Francoise Peschon, formerly of Araujo, has focused on improvements in the vineyard, which show in the glass. This is precise, beautifully textured and elegant, with dark, mountain-grown fruit, graphite and garrigue, enlivened by

structured tannins and acidity. It’s so fresh and certainly a refreshing style for California Cab. Drink 2020-2030 Alc 14.5% Garden N/A UK www.gardencreekvineyards.com Creek, Tesserae, Alexander Valley 92 An owners under-the-radar Justin and Karen Sonoma Warnelius-Miller winery, where do nearly seamless, all the refined work and themselves. supremely Their ageworthy. Cabs are Rich and energetic, this vintage is ripe dark fruit front and centre, with oak well in the background. Tempting to drink now, but wait. Drink 2021-2032 Alc 14% Jordan Winery, Jordan, Alexander Valley 91 N/A UK www. jordanwinery.com Jordan always swims against the tide, eschewing overt oak and overripeness in the grapes. Their Cabernet is more Bordeaux-like than almost any wine from California, with a reasonable level of alcohol, subtle hints of herbs and spice, and a fresh, clean, mouthwatering profile. Stick it in the cellar for a decade or more. Drink 2024-2044 Alc 14% Knights Bridge, Estate, Knights Valley 90 N/A UK www. knightsbridgewinery.com A relative newcomer in Knights Valley, taking advantage of an impressive array of soil types and row orientations to make this distinctive wine with volcanic, loam and alluvial character. Blackcurrant fruit, savoury earth, and firm yet pliant tannins. Drink 2022-2030 Alc 15% Laurel Glen, Counterpoint, Sonoma Mountain 90 £45 Christopher Keiller, Thirty Nine 10, Top Selection While waiting for Laurel Glen’s estate Cab to be released in early 2019, enjoy this second-tier wine for its spiced dark fruit character and properly earthy, leathery complexity. Solid effort for a

second label. Drink 2020-2025 Alc 14.5% Pedroncelli Winery, Block 007 Estate, Dry Creek Valley 89 N/A UK www. pedroncelli.com In an age when many Cal Cabs have their savoury character masked by oak and ripeness, this is unabashedly earthy with slightly herbal accents to the dense, dark fruit, and vibrant acidity. Good value. Drink 2020-2025 Alc 14% Rodney Strong, Knights Valley 89 £ This 26.99 producer Waitrose continues Cellar to expand its Sonoma Cabernet the Napa border. reach, now Toasty into oak Knights is evident, Valley, yet near

there is a vibrancy to this good-value wine, with juicy dark fruit and mouthwatering acidity. Drink 2019-2025 Alc 14.5%

St Francis Winery & Vineyards, Moon

Mountain District 88 N/A UK www. stfranciswinery.com A mountain vineyard above the valley floor is the source for this heady yet surprisingly balanced wine. Violets, cherries, baked pie crust and bittersweet chocolate are wrapped in supple tannins. Drink 2020-2025 Alc 15%

Santa Cruz Mountains

Mount Eden Vineyards, Mount Eden Estate 95 £69 Roberson The rocky minerality of the Santa Cruz Mountains shows from first sniff of this wine through to the lengthy finish. The earthiness on the palate is offset by fleshy red and black fruit, with notes of spice-infused cherry, chocolate, espresso and vanilla. For all its youthful intensity, the palate is remarkably fresh and bright. Drink 2023-2035 Alc 14% Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello 91 £97.60 James Nicholson Most know Ridge Monte Bello improves with age, so judging it in its infancy is almost unfair. Somewhat herbal American oak dominates the nose, though the black cherry/blackcurrant fruit is the core of this wine, certain to take centre stage over the years. High acidity, low alcohol and faith bring it home. Drink 2023-2040 Alc 13.5%

Paso Robles

Hope Family Wines, Austin Hope 90 N/A UK www. hopefamilywines.com A decadent wine, effusive in its cassis, black plum, black olive and forest floor aromas and flavours, with a hint of mint and pomegranate. It’s powerful and ripe, yet wears it well, without any discernible heat. Drink 2019-2026 Alc 15%

J Lohr, Signature 90 N/A UK www. jlohr.com Young, tight and tannic now, though gushing with buoyantly ripe blackcurrant fruit. Varietal notes of cedar and forest floor add complexity, though finishes short. Drink 2021-2026 Alc 14.5%

Santa Barbara County

Star Lane Vineyard, Astral, Happy Canyon 89 N/A UK www. starlanevineyard.com. From the warmest part of otherwise cool Santa Barbara comes a sturdy, grippy Cabernet with textbook varietal character. Cedar, savoury spice, a hint of vanilla and juicy blackcurrant are all in keen balance. Drink 2020-2029 Alc 14.5%