Gary, great to see one of my own favorites on your show. The Rocca is incredible. Although I think my current favorite Napa is Harlan (boring I know) the Rocca is actually a good value at $60 and an awesome wine. If you have not YOU MUST TASTE THE ROCCA SYRAH! it is an amazing wine, I think cheaper and better than the cab! Both are these extremely well balanced fruit bombs, fruit but under controll. Love the show.

Just want to say that I loved the blind format. Don’t have an answer for the QOTD, since I’ve really had very few Napa Cabs in my wine drinking career.

Great show! I have had the Rocca once in another vintage and liked it a lot, so I was glad to see it win the blind tasting. By the way, I like the blind tasting format.

QOTD: My favorite all-time California Cabernets are the older Beaulieu Vineyard Private Reserves from vintages 1985 and older. I started drinking them in the 1968 vintage. For vintages in the last couple of decades, Joseph Phelps Insignia and Stag’s Leap Cask 23 have been my benchmark Cabernets wine from California.

Love the blind tasting! Thanks!
QOTD: Do not have a favorite Napa Cab…..

QOTD – My favorite Napa Cab is a Mt Veeder wine – Wing Canyon. Seek it out.

Favorite Napa Valley Cab: Hmm. Probably Waterstone Cabernet as well as the ’97 Caymus, but I have moved away from Napa Valley Cabs for many years because the price points are too high and there is are as many or more kick-ass reds in Sonoma Valley, particulary in Dry Creek, Russian River, and Alexander Valley…and down closer to my Orange County California home are the red wines of Paso Robles, which are AWESOME! Thanks for the great web site. I am new to the experience.

Not big into California Cabs, more of a Frenchman myself, but I did really enjoy the 04 Mt. Veeder.

Long time lurker, first time comment. Great show and congrats on officially becoming an author, Gary! qotd – I’m an Australian living in Singapore and until I moved up here, finding anything from Napa Valley was all but impossible. Have tried numerous Napa Pinot Noirs (Curse you, Sideways) and some other varietals but no Cab Savs yet. They’re now on the shopping list! You made the Rocca sound phenomenal on first taste. Thanks for the great daily shows.

Great show. This is the first blind tasting show I’ve seen and I found it a nice way to mix up the usual presentation.

QOTD: Haven’t tasted many Napa cabernets – a bit outside my price range. I did have one at a recent thirsty thursday meeting, but I don’t remember the name now.

Great episode. The Rocca Cab is by far my favorite wine at the moment. Celia Masyczek is the winemaker who also makes DR Stevens, Scarecrow, Keever, and Hollywood and Vine. All wines to seek out. Thanks for doing what you do!

I, too, love the blind format of this show. As we all know, we eat with our eyes and I believe with taste with our eyes, also. The paper bags keep it fair. Great show.

QOTD – Not a huge CA Cab fan because of the quality price point.

QOTD–used to be Silverado but recently Cakebread and Chimney Rock have surpassed it.

Massive congrats on the book, Gary!!
and yes, you should definitely do blind tastings more often, that was pretty riveting. QOTD: 2002 Silver Oak, Napa a super well made, powerful elegant cab with solid dark fruit, sweet spice complexity, present but not out of wack oak; like a dark, thorough-bred stallion.

Joseph Phelps, Yet there are so many and my taste seems to change with mood and so does my choice of wine.

QOTD: Had a 94 Shafer Hillside Select quite a while ago, that was superb. Does that count? Have had Cabs from Caymus, Groth too. In general though, outside my swilling budget. I can pick up decent cabs, that are enjoyable for about a 3rd the cost of wines you tasted. Hey remember Cab from Argentia, by Hobbs, Crocadillo (excuse the spelling). Was very good, for under $15.

Question for you. A few weeks back you tasted the 2004 Turnbull Cab and gave it a 95. I seem to recall WL pricing was less than $40. So we should seek Turbull out instead of these you tasted today. Another question, I am seeing some local marketing and praise for a high priced cab getting rave reviews
Hartwell “Divine” Cabernet, going for about $150. Have you tried? Would be interested in your thoughts.

Hey going with the head to head theme, how about a Zin taste off. Match Turley up against, Ridge, etc. You fill in the rest.
Thanks, another great show.

I only drink kosher wine, but the 2003 Covenant was superb.

Nice show.

QOTD: To be honest, I have had so few Napa Cabs, and have yet to find one that I really like.

Can’t see Mad Money or Conan as not in the USA and won’t display 🙁

Congratulations on the book Release.

WOW!
I am amazed at how many Vayniacs are saying the big stereotyped cabs.
â?¢Silver Oak
â?¢Caymus
â?¢Cake Bread

What I really don’t get is how many people are mentioning Insignia and Opus one. These are cab based, but are not considered cabs. It seems like any time expensive wines are mentioned people have to bring up Insignia and Opus one, even if they have nothing to do with the topic. It feels like a “shoe size” competition.

Congratulations on the book Release.

WOW!
I am amazed at how many Vayniacs are saying the big stereotyped cabs.
â?¢Silver Oak
â?¢Caymus
â?¢Cake Bread

What I really don’t get is how many people are mentioning Insignia and Opus one. These are cab based, but are not considered cabs. It seems like any time expensive wines are mentioned people have to bring up Insignia and Opus one, even if they have nothing to do with the topic. It feels like a “shoe size” competition.

MOST excellent episode! Blind tastings are the most fun of all!

QOTD: Groth (only had the 04).

Big ups the blind tasting.

hmm that’s a tough one. QOTD: I guess I drink a lot more blends when I go cab. The last big name pure cab I’ve had was grgich hills.

Nick G made the point of some of the big names not really being cabs, so I guess we should call them cabernet based blends, but most of the wines on this show were probably blends, I know Rocca has some merlot and petit verdot. Cali just calls some cabernet and some “prop blend” they are still generally cabs aren’t they.

I will take back my original answer and say ZD Abacus since (I think) it’s all cabernet.

qotd: my current fav right now is the 2003 Corrison Kronos cab