Cabernet Surprises in 2001

Letter from the editors, Wine Spectator, Nov. 15, 2004

Marvin R. Shanken & Thomas Matthews

California Cabernet enjoys another outstanding vintage in 2001. Senior editor James Laube, who has been covering California wines for more than 20 years, reports that’01 rivals the best vintages of the past decade for America’s favorite red.

After tasting nearly 500 California Cabernets from 2001, Laube rates the vintage 93 points for Napa (better than 2000) and 87 points for Sonoma (the best since 1999). But there are some surprises from the vintage; some of the established stars stumbled, and there are a few new names at the top of the quality mountain.

When was the last time you drank a Cabernet made by Paloma? Or a Schrader, or D.R. Stephens? In 2001, these producers released wines that rated 95 points or more. They are among the new stars of California Cabernet. And the best news is that compared with many of the established names, they are reasonably priced. Each of the aforementioned wines sells for less than $100.