A Trio of Cult Cabs

A lot of great wine rolls through the Bel-Air. Very often I don't have the chance to take any detailed tasting notes when sampling these wines. 1959 Margaux and Haut Brion, 1982 Cheval Blancgrea and 1973 DRC Montrachet are just a few of the greats that I wish I'd been able to jot down in my notebook. However, once in awhile, the opportunity comes to sit down to the end of the night and actually taste a few professionally.

On this day, we happened to have a collection of the great names in Cabernet Sauvignon from California: Colgin 'Herb Lamb' 2005, Bryant 2005 and Harlan 2001. When I was still budding as a sommelier, one of the great experiences of my life was sitting down to dinner with a friend who had opened the 1997 Colgin and 1997 Harlan for a side-by-side. While my personal taste doesn't necessarily run toward Cali Cab these days, the opportunity to taste these two mammoths side-by-side again was intriguing.

So, the Colgin 'Herb Lamb' 2005 was showing beautifully. I immediately noted red licorice on the nose which shifted to black fruits on the palate with this red cherry edge that seems to be decidedly Colgin (in my experience). Almost like a bucket of blackberries with a few Maraschino cherries thrown in for good measure. Plenty of spice and anise blended with the rich fruit that is supported by chalky tannins that somehow feel plush. I poured a taste of the Colgin to the guest who was drinking the Harlan so he could also experience the opportunity to taste them together. "I could drink that all day...", he said, before he knew what it was.

The Harlan Estate 2001 was a decidedly different animal. Much more brooding and complex. Bordeaux-like character, but distinctly Californian at the same time. The fruit shows more black/blue with amazing intensity. Perfumey on the nose with black currants, espresso, pencil shavings, gravel, fresh ground cinnamon, and some singed herbs. The complexity here is quite impressive and this wine is still very young in its evolution. It will be interesting to see where this wine is in another ten years. I would say this was my favorite of the three.

The 2005 Bryant was almost a blend of style between the Colgin and the Harlan. The fruit was ripe, but stayed lifted with this really refreshing acidity that helped the flavors of the fruit remain fresh. A little more herbal/rubber noted on the nose, but beautiful black currant and black raspberry and a plush texture. The amazing piece here was the seamless balance. One could get lost in this wine without any one thing standing out, yet there's a lot wrapped up in this package to discover if you want to dig in. And the finish here is long without feeling heavy. Very impressive.

As I said, Cabernet isn't always my first choice. I find I'm drinking them out of my cellar these days just to make room for Nebbiolos and Burgundys. If these wines were thirty bucks a bottle, I probably still wouldn't stock up on them for myself, but I'd be stupid not to put them on a wine list. Sadly, at upwards of $500 for each, it seems sad to me that most people will never experience these really well-crafted California Cabernets.