What's Better: Napa or Sonoma Cab?

Impossible to answer I know but I want to buy a few bottles of CA Cabernet for my cellar (wine rack in the living room) with the purpose for long-term aging. I'm aiming to spend at most $40/bottle (my birthday is coming up).

Is is possible to generalize about these appellations? Or is it better that I base it on producer and ignore origination (my wine store has about about 120 CA cab producers).

Thanks,

Dave

Um, Sonoma.

Now I'm gonna grab some popcorn and sit back and watch.

We live in Napa so you can take my advice with a grain of salt. We do a better job with cab overall than Sonoma. Now to be perfectly honest I think Sonoma does a better job with Chardonnay, Zinfandel, & Pinot Noir. These grapes do better in cooler climes than most of Napa except for The Carneros Region of Napa south towards the cooler bay region. Dry Creek in Sonoma is a warm region but Zin loves the terroir in that region. There are microclimates in both both counties but that would take paragraphs to fill in the details. Remember I'm making a generalization.

David,
I am going to jump in the fray and suggest that you get some from both areas. I have had aged Napa cabs that were wonderful and I have had a 20 year old one from Alexander valley that was simply spectacular. Napa certainly carries the reputation but Sonoma may have some underdogs that could do well.

That's one of many questions to which my answer is, "Yes, of course!"
There are certainly more cabs out of the Napa Valley than out of Sonoma County. And with more votes, Napa has a better chance of winning. Yet there are really interesting Cabs from Alexander Valley, Russian River Valley, and Dry Creek Valley. Fortunately, most of them are less famous and correspondingly more affordable.

cheapo John

I generally don't buy high end Cal Cabs. My go to, which is in the $15-$20 range, is Louis Martini Napa. I like it better than their Sonoma. My 2 cents worth.

I would say in general, Sonoma has better value than Napa if you are trying to get the most bang for your buck. At my local wine shop, $40 is pretty much the starting range for Napa Cabs. I'm no expert in Cali Cabs, but this seems to be the trend I see. Good luck in your search!

The less expensive cabs are to be found in Sonoma, the higher quality cabs which are many in Napa are more expensive. Unfortunately that's the way of most things in life. Really great restaurants are never cheap either. If one knows where to look there are some great prices on many good wines from CA due to the economy.

Impossible to answer I know but I want to buy a few bottles of CA Cabernet for my cellar (wine rack in the living room) with the purpose for long-term aging. I'm aiming to spend at most $40/bottle (my birthday is coming up).

Is is possible to generalize about these appellations? Or is it better that I base it on producer and ignore origination (my wine store has about about 120 CA cab producers).

Thanks,

Dave

David,
"Better" is a the wrong word to use - better to whom?
First, tell us what cabs. you have had that you have enjoyed. Then, I expect many here can give you suggestions that fit what you enjoy.
Best, Jim

Impossible to answer I know but I want to buy a few bottles of CA Cabernet for my cellar (wine rack in the living room) with the purpose for long-term aging. I'm aiming to spend at most $40/bottle (my birthday is coming up).

Is is possible to generalize about these appellations? Or is it better that I base it on producer and ignore origination (my wine store has about about 120 CA cab producers).

Thanks,

Dave

David,
"Better" is a the wrong word to use - better to whom?
First, tell us what cabs. you have had that you have enjoyed. Then, I expect many here can give you suggestions that fit what you enjoy.
Best, Jim

Damn pragmatist. Let David make his buying triumphs and mistakes like the rest of us have done. Hell! that's half the fun of the total wine experience.

David,
"Better" is a the wrong word to use - better to whom?
First, tell us what cabs. you have had that you have enjoyed. Then, I expect many here can give you suggestions that fit what you enjoy.
Best, Jim

I was using "better" tongue-in-cheek as of course "better" depends on the person. My dad used only buy Cabernet - really bad Cabernet, so I've barely touched the stuff. I like strong, in-your-face wines that aren't fruity (no fruit bombs). If it helps, I love southern Rhones and super Tuscans (e.g., Renieri Toscana Re di Renieri) and could drink Saintsbury PN forever ...

David,
"Better" is a the wrong word to use - better to whom?
First, tell us what cabs. you have had that you have enjoyed. Then, I expect many here can give you suggestions that fit what you enjoy.
Best, Jim

I was using "better" tongue-in-cheek as of course "better" depends on the person. My dad used only buy Cabernet - really bad Cabernet, so I've barely touched the stuff. I like strong, in-your-face wines that aren't fruity (no fruit bombs). If it helps, I love southern Rhones and super Tuscans (e.g., Renieri Toscana Re di Renieri) and could drink Saintsbury PN forever ...

That helps.
Try Burgess, Laurel Glen, Mondavi and a new operation from Sonoma called Calluna.
BTW, if you really intend long term storage, a wine rack in the living room isn't your best choice - too much temperature variation. Small wine coolers can be gotten pretty cheap at Home Depot and similar stores.
Best, Jim

Definitely Napa.

There are distressingly many eucalyptus trees in Sonoma County, which give to the cabernet sauvignon grown in those areas a repugnant quality I call "Sonoma Stink". This happens in Napa, too, occasionally (Heitz Martha's Vineyard, for example--which has a large eucalyptus tree in the vineyard--I'm sorry, but if I want toothpaste flavors, I'll brush with Crest), but in general there's less of this objectionable scent/taste in Napa. There are notable exceptions. Rodney Strong in Sonoma, for example.

-Paul W.

That helps.
Try Burgess, Laurel Glen, Mondavi and a new operation from Sonoma called Calluna.
BTW, if you really intend long term storage, a wine rack in the living room isn't your best choice - too much temperature variation. Small wine coolers can be gotten pretty cheap at Home Depot and similar stores.
Best, Jim

Thanks - my wine store has Laurel Glen so I'll give that a try.

[James Roscoe]

For that price I could get Bordeaux!

For that price I could get Bordeaux!

Alex would be very proud of you.

Impossible to answer I know but I want to buy a few bottles of CA Cabernet for my cellar (wine rack in the living room) with the purpose for long-term aging. I'm aiming to spend at most $40/bottle (my birthday is coming up).

Is is possible to generalize about these appellations? Or is it better that I base it on producer and ignore origination (my wine store has about about 120 CA cab producers).

Thanks,

Dave

I think Napa's the answer in general but, and there's always a ‘but’, Sebastiani in Sonoma might be a better fit, David, in light of your post. From the Sonoma County Cab at under $20 to the Cherryblock at $75, they have a pretty nice selection.

[Robin Garr]

Thanks - my wine store has Laurel Glen so I'll give that a try.

Laurel Glen is one of my long-standing Sonoma favorites, and Patrick Campbell, the wine maker, is a heck of a nice guy, who's built an excellent reputation for CalCab without resorting to the kind of profiteering that some of his neighbors do and that his reputation would likely have supported if he had chosen that route.

For that price I could get Bordeaux!

Actually, I have some Bordeaux on my wine list! In fact, the list is 12 bottles. Since you asked, here is the general list. I'm working on individual selections now:

2 Bordeaux
2 Northern Rhone
2 Southern Rhone
4 Lorie (1-Muscadet, 2-CB, 1-SB)
1 Italian (probably Super Tuscan)
2 California Cabernet

Most of the reds will go in the cellar and taken out for special occasions so I'm splurging a bit on them.

Here is what I'm planning for Bordeaux (pick two!):
2004 Chateau Rauzan Segla
2003 Chateau Du Tertre
2006 Chateua Pavillon Rouge

Comments welcome!

David,
You're in luck in the sense that non-fruity, ageworthy Cabernets are so out of fashion that they are, in general, good values. Here's my short list of candidates:

Laurel Glen (jumping on the bandwagon)
Corison
Mayacamas
Clos du Val

Mark Lipton

2 Bordeaux
2 Northern Rhone
2 Southern Rhone
4 Lorie (1-Muscadet, 2-CB, 1-SB)
1 Italian (probably Super Tuscan)
2 California Cabernet

Were it me, I would put 2 Loire Cab Francs in there for near term drinking. Easy choice, IMO.

Were it me, I would put 2 Loire Cab Francs in there for near term drinking. Easy choice, IMO.

Long term wouldn't be a bad idea as well. I've had some lovely older ones; Jay Miller recently opened a bottle of '85 Breton Bourgueil Perrieres that was really delicious. I've had others with several (though fewer) years of bottle age that were also lovely.

Kinda surprised that nobody, unless I missed it, mentioned that it is not a good idea to do long term aging on a wine rack in the living room. Unless you live much cooler than we do. If you do not have an actual cellar under your premises, recommend get a temperature controlled unit before buying for long term aging.

Two possibilities for Sonoma Cabs are Simi and Geyser Peak.