WTN: 2008 Cal. Cab. and a question?

I opened a 2008 Roth Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon tonight with London Broil and it was fabulous with deep spicey plum flavors and an obvious dark roast coffee note. It did have 6 hrs. of decant time and was very smooth with tannins very well managed. This is only the second 2008 West Coast Cab. (Ch. St. Michelle Indian Wells is the other) but I am thinking that 2008 is a VERY fine year and may exceed 2007 in quality. What do others think?

I've been resisting opening '08s, especially those of which I only have a couple of bottles. '05s IMO are in the drink-em-up time, somewhat to my surprise, as they were very tasty early. They're still tasty, but much more mature than I expected a couple of years ago. I had a bottle of '06 Field Stone Syrah (Alexander Valley) with sweetbreads for dinner tonight, and it was real Syrah, black, peppery and still fruitful, though the tannins had receded a bit more quickly than I had anticipated.
Looking through my spreadsheet: (just a sampling)
David Coffaro Carignan '08 was improved by overnight in the fridge, in March '10. Quivira Grenache '08 was very light in color, almost strawberry, and long, in March '11. My note said, "Very nice wine!" David Coffaro Escuro '08 (a typically eclectic Coffaro blend of 30% Petite Sirah, 22% Lagrein, 12% Tannat, 9% Alvarelho, 9% Souzao,9% Aglianico, 9% Touriga) I liked very much in April '10, saying, "Very deep and ripe and extremely full-flavored. Stood up well to a beef, bean and cheese chili." David Coffaro's "My Zin" '08 has 23% Petite Sirah in it, and it tastes more of PS than Zin, to my palate. No matter, it's Dry Creek. His estate Zin (100% Zin) has had some bottle variation, ranging from excellent to noticeably overripe. And I like ripe wine.
Dry Creek Vineyards "Petite Zin Rose" (half Zin, half PS) was good across 4 bottles between April and September '09. I confess that I'm not a Rose critic or expert, and these bottles were consumed causally without paying a whole lot of attention to them.
Dry Creek Vineyards DCV10 Chard '08 was a typical oak and malo Chard. Ok, I guess, but not really my cup of oak.
Field Stone Chard (Alexander Valley) was very pleasant, lightly oaked like many Chablis, and very good with salmon in August '10. I had much the same opinion of Stuhlmuller Chard, also Alexander Valley, in the same month.
Joseph Swan Saralee's Vineyard Gewurztraminer was as always, very well made and enjoyable. I thought it a bit forward in November and December '10, but I do like my wines on the mature side. A couple of bottles with turkey and one with Asian-style prawns.

By and large, the whites were good to very good, and the reds that I have opened so far are looking like generally very good, but maybe maturing a bit quicker than most even-year Sonoma County wines.

(With any luck, this will spark a boatload of argument. )
John

My experience with 2008 cal cabs is confined to the california barrel tasting hosted by MacArthur beverage. I have not opened any purchased at retail.

Due to the initial bad press on the 2008 vintage and slowing sales, the 2010 barrel tasting included both 2008 and 2007 vintages. At that time, I did not find any distinct quality advantage of the 2007 over the 2008. At the time I liked the 2007 to the 2008 roughly 2:1 where it was almost always that I felt individual producers did better with one vintage or the other.

On the other hand, I did not like the 2008 when compared against the 2009 at the 2011 tasting. At every single table I felt the 2009 showed better. Its hard from two, two-hour tastings to draw conclusions so I don't know if the 2008s were just not showing well in April or if the 2009s are that much better.

The result is that I don't own any 2008 cal cabs and don't intend to buy any unless they are screaming good deals. I am drinking cellar and waiting for 2009.