by Tom Hill

A self-admitted wine geek, Tom lives in Northern New Mexico and works as a computational physicist at Los Alamos National Laboratory doing numerical neutron transport & large scale code development. He has been tasting wines since 1971, participates locally with a couple of large tasting groups in his area, and is practically a fixture at most California wine festivals, such as the Hospice du Rhône, Rhône Rangers, and ZAP. Other interests: Tom is heavily into competitive sport fencing (foil & epee), biking, cooking, basketball, skiing, backpacking, mountain climbing.

Tasted the other week  a pretty extensive set of Amador Cabs:

1. Carneros Creek Winery Calif Cabernet Sauvignon (13.9%) Esola Vineyard 1975: Med.dark some browning color; rather oxidized/leafy/beef broth bit porty/overripe nose; soft oxidized/dead/tawney port charred/ oak flavor; pretty much a dead wine now.
2. Harbor Winery Amador County Cabernet Sauvignon Deaver Vineyard (U/U; 13.5%) 1975: Med.dark color; some Cabernet/black- curranty/fruit light cedary/tobaccoy complex attractive nose; soft/smooth some dried-out/ tired light cedary/tobaccoy pungent/oaked flavor; med.short smooth pungent/cedary/cigar box some dried-out finish; more like old Amador Zin; attractive nose but rather tired on the palate.
3. Parducci Calif  Cabernet Sauvignon (U/U; 12.5%) 1968: Very pale some browning color; oxidized/tired/wet Army blanket bit musty/earthy nose; tart/thin dried-out slight smokey/BarBQue sauce astringent flavor; pretty tired/dead Cab w/ little interest in it.
4. Montevina Amador County Cabernet Sauvignon (EB; 13%) 1975: Med.dark color w/ no browning; classic briary/jammy/ Amador/spicy/Zin some perfumed talc bit tired nose; some tannic/dried out some jammy/briary/ blackberry bit hot/dried-out flavor; med. rather dried-out/hot perfumed talc alcoholic some licorice/pungent/briary finish; some overripe Zin character and an interesting nose but pretty dried out on the palate.
5. Harbor Winery Amador County Cabernet Sauvignon Deaver Vineyard (U/U; 13.5%) 1976: Dark color w/ no browning; rather pungent/licorice/smokey/tobaccoy complex bit briary/jammy/Amador nose; soft/smooth smokey/ tobaccoy some briary/jammy/Zin-like bit metallic/dried-out flavor; med. soft/smooth rather pungent/licorice light briary/Amador finish w/ little tannins; more like an old Amador Zin than Cab; still in good condition but not much intensity left.
6. Harbor Winery Amador County Cabernet Sauvignon Deaver Vineyard (U/U; 13.5%) 1977: Dark color; rather smokey/used  fireworks some funky/bread yeast cedary/oldZin nose; soft some metallic dried-out/tired bit sharp/metallic flavor; off-dry/sweetish bit tobaccoy slight cranberry/blackberry light  rather dried-out finish w/ little tannins. Strange & rather dried out.
7. Montevina Amador County Cabernet Sauvignon (EB; 12 1/2%) 1976: Med.dark color; bit leafy rather smoky/briary/ pungent/Amador some pencilly/tobaccoy complex nose; bit tart/tannic dried-out some pungent/ briary/Zin-like flavors; med.long perfumed talc rather dried-out/tannic some briary/Amador finish; very interesting nose but dried-out/tired on the palate.
8. Liberty School Amador Cabernet Sauvignon Montevina Vineyard (13%) 1977: Dark color; slight bretty some blackcurranty/ Cab rather pungent/charred/Fr.oak slight funky nose; tart bit tannic/dried-out some bretty/ funky some black cherry/black curranty/Cab flavor; med.short some hot/tannic/dried-out weak blackcurranty/black cherry finish w/ light tannins; tastes like an Amador Zin made by a  Caymus producer; more Cab character than any thus far; a bit dried-out & tired on the  palate but still hanging in there.
9. Montevina Amador County Cabernet Sauvignon (EB; 12 1/2%) 1977: Dark color; strong balckberry/Zin briary/dusty some pungent/smokey/toasty/pencilly/charred licorice complex nose; soft/smooth some blackberry/ briary/Zin-like some licorice/pungent/charred flavor; med.long smooth briary/blackberry some pencilly/oaked/pungent finish w/ light tannins; slightly washed-out & light but still alive.
10. Montevina Amador County Cabernet Sauvignon SpecialSelection (12 1/2%) 1977: Fairly dark color; bit milk-of-magnesia  some toasty/oak/vanilla/bourbon some blackberry/Zin-like nose; rather herbal/blackcurranty/Cab pungent slight bell pepper licorice flavor; long herbal/pepper pretty tannic some pungent/ licorice very bourbon/vanilla finish w/ ample tannins; most Cab like thus far; bit dried-out and strong tannins, may never smooth out.
11. Shenandoah Vineyards Amador County Cabernet Sauvignon Deaver Vineyard (14.4%) 1977: Med.dark color; rather smokey/pungent/ tobaccoy/old Zin complex some briary/licorice nose; off-dry spicy rather tobaccoy/pungent some blackberry/Zin-like flavor; long off-dry spicy/blackberry/Zin very ripe old-Zin finish w/ little tannins; lots of old Amador Zin character; still alive if a bit tired.
12. Shenandoah Vineyards Amador County Cabernet Sauvignon (15.5%) Deaver Vineyard 1978: Med.dark color; big/ripe/blackberry/ boysenberry/Zin-like bit alcoholic young/AmadorZin slight pungent some complex/briary nose;  very ripe lost of blackberry/boysenberry/Zin bit raisened/overripe some tobaccoy/cigar box flavor; med.long licorice/pungent quite ripe/overripe blackberry/boysenberry finish w/ some tannins; amazingly youthful w/ lots of very ripe Amador/Zin character and not showing much evolution/development; sorta stuck in time.
13. Montevina Amador County Cabernet Sauvignon (EB; 12 1/2%) 1979: Med.color; some corked/musty some Zin/blackberry rather weak nose; very ripe off-dry blackberry/boysenberry/Zin-like slight funky/musty bit pencilly/oak flavor; med.long off-dry very ripe simple Zin/briary/blackberry finish w/ little  tannins; some Zin character and not much development.
14. Montevina Amador County Ruby Cabernet SpecialSelection (13%) 1979: Dark color; rather herbal/Cab dusty/earthy Provence-like slight vegetal some toasty/pungent oak nose; tart/tannic rather herbal/earthy/dusty bit weedy rich licorice/pungent toasty/oak flavor; long herbal/dusty/ earthy bit weedy/Cab finish w/ some tannins; still a young wine; much more Cab character than the Cabs; little Amador character; very much like a Provence or Languedoc super-Cab; amazing wine with little evolution evident.
15. Baldinelli Vineyards Amador County Cabernet Sauvignon (EB; 14%) 1979: Med.dark color; rather toasty/pungent/oaked perfumed talc little fruit nose; bright black cherry/cherry ripe some toasty/pungent/oak bit tannic little fruit some complex flavor; med. toasty/pungent/oak slight blackberry/black cherry rather tannic finish; lots of toasty oak and very light blackberry/black cherry fruit and a bit dried out on the palate.
16. Baldinelli Vineyards Shenandoah Vlly Calif Cabernet Sauvignon (EB; 14%) 1980: Med.dark color; stronger ripe/ blackberry/Zin/very ripe some smokey/pungent/oak nose; soft very ripe/bit alcoholic some boysenberry/blackberry/Zinlicorice light pungent/toasty/oak flavor; med.long very ripe/bit hot/alcoholic some blackberry/Zin finish w/ light tannins; less toasty oak and more blackberry fruit; pretty good drinking but ready to drink up. $6.00
17. Easton Shenandoah Vlly Calif Cabernet Sauvignon (EB; 13.5%) 1998: Dark color; very strong blackberry/ boysenberry/spicy/briary/Amador Zin slight toasty/oak nose; soft/ripe blackberry/briary/Zin-like slight herbal/Cab light toasty/oak flavor; some tannic slight herbal/Cab lots of blackberry/ Zin/briary slight earthy/dusty light toasty/pungent/oak finish w/ some tannins; needs several yrs of aging; as a bit of Cab character buy more like an Amador Zin; excellent/well-made wine if you don't require a lot of Cab character. $40.00
18. Calif  Shenandoah Vineyard Amador County Cabernet Sauvignon (13.8%) 1980: Med.color; some blackberry/AmadorZin/ briary Am.oak slight tobaccoy/oldCab complex nose; very tannic/astringent bit pungent/ licorice briary flavor; long very astringent/tannoc dried-out some cedary/pungent finish; rather interesting/attractive nose but pretty dried-out & astringent on the palate.
19. Calif Shenandoah Vineyards Amador County Cabernet Sauvignon (13.4%) 1981: Dark color; some Am.oaked/tobaccoy rather briary/pungent some complex nose; soft/smooth bit tannic light cedary/cigar box flavor; med. smooth bit tannic/chalky light briary cedary finish; more like old Amador Zin; interesting on the nose and more attractive on the palate; bit washed out and weak.
20. Shenandoah Vineyards Calif Amador County Cabernet Sauvignon (13.2%) 1982: Med.color; slight musty/corked/funky light tobaccoy/old Cab cigar box nose; light/smooth some dried out very light tobaccoy/Am. oaked flavor; med.short light rather dried-out light cedary/cigar box/charred finish; pretty light and not much left; shows the lightening of style from early ones.
21. Santino Calif Shenandoah Vlly Cabernet Sauvignon Amador County (13.4%) 1982: Med.light color; some briary/dusty low fruit slight pungent nose; tart/lean/hard/thin slight briary/cherry flavor; med.short tart/ lean/hard weak cherry finish w/ some tannins; seems acidified & citric; not very much in this wine anymore.
22. Carneros Creek Winery Amador Cabernet Sauvignon Esola Vineyard (13.7%) 1982: Med.color; rather dusty/old vines rather  herbal/Cab complex bit toasty/oak nose; soft/smooth elegant light herbal toasty/tobaccoy/old Cab flavor; med.long toasty/oak some herbal/Cab bit cigar box/cedary finish w/ light tannins;  pleasant/interesting and still holding on barely.
23. Montevina Shenandoah Vlly Calif Amador County Cabernet Sauvignon (12.5%) 1980: Med.color; attractive tobaccoy/ cedary slight herbal/Cab minty some complex nose; soft/smooth tobaccoy/cedary old Cab slight  briary elegant/complex flavor; med.long light herbal rather tobaccoy/cedary/cigar box/charred smooth finish w/ little tannins; a lovely mature elegant old Cab w/ little Amador character; still in fine shape.

1. I've followed Amador Cabs from the very start; the early Montevinas and the Harbors made back in the mid-'70's. Primarily at the urging of Darrell Corti. I was always struck by their lack of definitive Cabernet character. They almost always came across more like Amador Zin than Cabernet; lots of blackberry/briary character. But, being as Cabernet is recognized as a "great" grape, and Zinfandel is not; I was convinced the Amador (by Amador, we're talking  strictly the ShenandoahVlly; don't think there's any/much Cab planted in Fiddletown or the lower elevations) Cabernet would eventually evolve into a "great" Cabernet w/ maturity.  That apparently isn't the case. Although some of these wines had evolved quite nicely; they were still very Amador-Zin in character. I had to really struggle to find much aged Cabernet character in them. The Liberty School probably showed the most, but that was probably the Caymus oak treatment that was coming thru more than anything. 
2. Amador RubyCabernet: I remember being quite struck by this wine in its youth for it intense green olive/herbal Cab character; and its black color and tannins. I was convinved it was a  long liver. And it was. It showed much more Cab character than any of the Cabernets did; maybe even a bit on the underripe side. It strikes me that this is a variety that should be persued in Amador. It could be used to blend with their Cabs to give them more Cabernet character. I'm not sure why CaryGott planted these vines originally, but he must have seen some potential for it up there. I'm sure Montevina/SutterHome has long since grubbed up those vines.
3. Easton Cabernet: I was particularly interested in trying Bill's Cabernet; partly because of the price. But more importantly, he owns and sources his Estate wines from the old Ed  Baldinelli property and wanted to see what he could do w/ those grapes. It showed more Cabernet character than any young Amador Cab I can recall, though it still seemed to be mostly like a briary Amador Zin. Don't know as I'm perspacacious enough to detect anything in common with this young Easton and the old Baldinellis. But it is a big wine, well-made, with the structure and backbone to age I feel. It'll be fun to watch its evolution.
4. Today's Amador Cabernet: Obviously, Cabernet is regarded throughout most of Calif as being capable of producing "great" wines. And fetching high prices. As a variety, it has not seemed to catch on in Amador. If you don't demand that it taste & smell like Napa Cabernet; I think it produces a wine in Amador every bit as good as their Zinfandels (but not as great as their Syrahs). Cabernet is still grown on the Deaver Vineyard I believe. I recall when I visited w/ Ken Deaver (Sr.) back in the mid-'70's; he was griping about the heavy/unruly foliage that it puts out and planning to pull it out in favor of Zin. Ben&Katie Zeitman used to grow Cabernet at Amador Foothill, but I believe they grafted it all over to Sangiovese. Lee Sobon at Shenandoah Vineyards/Sobon Estate still continues to grow/make Cabernet. I've also tried the new Serenidad Cabs that I thought were mighty fine. But, like with his Rhone varietals, Bill Easton stand in a league by himself in Amador County.
5. Carneros Creek Amador Cabs: Frank Mahoney went up to AmadorCounty in the early yrs of Carneros Creek, when he didn't have much good Pinot to work with, to buy grapes for his wines. In addition to his Eschen Zin, he also bought Zin and Cabernet from the Ernie&John Esola vnyd. He gave up on Zin with the '78 vintage, but continued to take all the Esola Cab grapes. He felt it made great blending material to go into his Napa Cabs. Because of its black color; it would only take 5% or so to knock the color up a notch on his Napa Cab. Occasionally, over the yrs, Frank would bottle a small lot of the Amador Cab when he had enough left over. Alas, my collecting of the Carneros Creek Cabs over the yrs has been pretty spotty and I haven't many left. It would be interesting to do a full retrospective of these wines at the winery sometime. And, IMHO, Frank Mahoney has never received the recognition over the years that I think he deserves for his NapaVlly Cabernets; some of them have been truly wonderful.

TomHill