Perfect. I choose the Mayacamas. It is the iconic Cab Sauvignon I remember from the 80's when I first began tasting and appreciating wine. Since then I have become passionate about wine and have recently attained level 3 Sommelier soon to move into level 4.
A pity that I discovered your channel just after starting my "dry period", but I will enjoy your tips in the Winter 🙂 My favourite is the Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, I tried many Napa Valley Wines and always come back to the Caymus as favourite...
I am a local Sonoma/Napa resident. I am also in the wine biz. My fave is the Corison. I love her story and her grit and I love her independence. She makes wine the way she likes it, not the way others like it. Delicate, refined and super tasty. And she is a personable and delightful woman!
@@Lebowski55 I have tasted their wine before but have not done a formal tasting there. I was actually there yesterday. I brought clients there for my wine tour business.
Great video! Visited Napa this summer. We tried to hit the smalled names. Really enjoyed Titus in St. Helena and Ballantine. love to see a video on oregon and Washington wines.
Great video, Mr. Baum. My favorite Napa Cab is from Outpost on Howell Mountain. Black fruit with a hint of baking spice, solid tannins, and only gets better with age. But while the Cab is laying down, I find myself enjoying Westwood's Syrah, from Sonoma. Wine country is one of the few things I miss after leaving California. Cheers!
Well done sir and thank you for a review of Napa wines! I live in Saint Helena and work at a winery on Diamond Mountain by Calistoga. I think mountain fruit produces distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon and appreciate you showing examples from valley floor and mountain producers!
This is a great review. It’s so timely for us as we jus came back home from the week long Napa Valley tour. My favourite is the Stag’s Leap Cask 23. Way more robust than everything else I tasted during the tour. I’m also a fan of Louis Martini and Caymus Cabs. By now you could get a sense of my personal preferences.
It was a Caymus 2014 that got me totally hooked on wine. I was blown away by the intensity and complexity of it. It led me down the expensive and delicious rabbit hole of Napa cabs 😋. Thanks for another great video 🙏
Decent breakdown of the Napa Valley. Considering that’s where I’m from and got in the wine is in the early 70s was a very educational tasting. Thank you.
I always try to explain this to many European writers that don't always get the chance to taste a lot of the AVAs in Napa. There are big differences between the 16 AVAs when you taste them together. I respect the hell out of Napa even though they aren't my favorite red wines. The Mayacamas is always a classic! Well done.
A personal favoriate Napa Cabernet for me is O'Shaughnessy Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. It is another one that can hold for decades buy I've also enjoyed it very young. The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in this wine are from high on top of Howell Mountain and notably some of the ones grown at the highest altitude in Napa.
Great video! I have been curious about Napa for a while and with this video you have made me even more excited to try some good wines from there! One question/suggestion for another video. Would be really fun to get a tour of your wine cellar. Maybe you can show us the wines you’ve had for the longest time and some other special wines. You don’t have to try them.
This video is a few months old, but my favorite winery is St Supery. Their Elu is always a delight, and their Dollarhide Cab is utterly delicious. I went there in the early 2000s with a friend and we got the upgraded tasting in their old tasting room before they they got put on the map by Robert Parker. We ended up upstairs with an elderly gentleman serving the tastings and we ended up staying for a couple of hours tasting all kinds of wines. Still the best tasting i have ever had, though Quinta dos Corvos in Porto was a close second.
I really like your videos. Not only do you know wine, but your mastery of English is impressive. As a former US military linguist & polyglot, I have a great appreciation for languages and cultures the world over…and I enjoy a nice glass of wine.
I went to Corison yesterday! We saw Cathy, although my friend was too shy to say hello. They served the first five vintages of her Kronos Vineyard, 97-01 and the 2018 wines alongside incredible food. Probably the best Cabernet Sauvignon I have ever tried, better than even Ridge's Montebello.
Better than Ridge Montebello! was it a joke? I usually buy a case of each every year, even worst vintage of Montebello is better than best vintage of Corison. Let's not talk about Montebello 2013 and 2017 that there are good enough that received multiple 100 points. Corison is exceptional if you take the price into account for sure, but better than Montebello???
2001 rubicon estate Cabernet and the 2007 Beringer private reserve were my first Napa wines that got me interested in California wines. Currently live in Seattle and am really enjoying Washington and Oregon wines, a very diversity of different varietals available.
Konstantin, many thanks for sharing this. Very well done, with great explanations of terroir and producers. By chance, are you considering featuring other US regions in future tastings? Paso, Columbia Valley, Willamette Valley??
Konstantin, I have really liked your videos, they are very entertaining and loaded with great tasting notes. One minor note is that you used the word altitude when describing the mountain vineyards when you really meant elevation. Keep up the videos, they are fun to watch. You should do more videos with your assistant, he has a great youthful enthusiasm and a pretty good knowledge of wine. You are a great addition to the MW world. Cheers, Jamie
This was a nice and educational showcasing of Napa, including the presentation/rendering of fog creeping through the valley floor 🤣❤️ As always, K.B., did an outstanding job describing so many important aspects of wine. Although I can appreciate if K.B. thought his own showcasing sounded a bit repetitive by the end, I learned so much! Furthermore, I can appreciate why several of these bottles were selected for K.B’s review even though there are hundreds more worthy of the spotlight. A six bottle lineup with various stylistic expressions is no small task! K.B., to answer your question, another great one is Ehlers Estate-admittedly, this was one of the first vineyard I visited with my wife, so there is some dream-like emotion tied to the experience, which I imagine, distorts my memory over-time. Beautiful wine, serene location, nice history, sweet story and family mission/vision. Any plans to showcase more of California and their creativity on this Channel (sorry if I’ve missed it…)? Any plans to see how Texas wines are developing? I’m sure countless people would appreciate your insight, critique, and guidance. All the best.
I’m from Texas and don’t like them much. I’ve been in California a while and think they’re much better. I will say it’s been a while since I’ve had them. The wines in Bryan / College station are too sweet. Near Marble Falls they’re somewhat flat - not structure for aging or elegant. However, I’m gonna be in Fredericksburg in a couple of weeks and I will absolutely keep an open mind. Hopefully I can find some decent ones.
In my opinion, two great things came from the Judgement of Paris: 1) It was a kick in the pants to the French who had frankly gotten lazy in their wine making due to their reputation being enough to sell the wines. In the long run far better wines ended up coming out of France after the Judgement and that is good for everyone! 2) It was shown that with care and diligent wine making you can make great wines anywhere and that opened up not just California but New York, Australia, Chili, South Africa, etc. We are in a golden age of wines where great stuff is available all over. That is good for us, the consumers. I would say Napa wine makers started to get a bit lazy in the 90s making monolithic high alcohol monsters but it appears more artisans are starting to make wines there now-days and that may save Napa from the same fugue the French were in during the 70s.
Exactly. What happened to France happened to Napa in getting complacent. The recent vintages in Napa are amazing, but I remember the higher octane wines you described.
The judgement of France didn't change the fact that American wines are mostly miserable under 50 bucks. Even a broken clock is right once a day and for some reason this one event is what Americans keep bringing up over and over and over again, so tired of that stroke of luck. California is a ridiculous comparison with Bordeaux because the American culture simply has no style. There's just no nuance, sorry America but you'll never understand Proust.
I agree. I understand that Napa is expensive and so are taxes etc etc etc. it’s mind boggling that European wines can still be imported and bought from a retailer here for $20 and be good, while $20 for domestic stuff is pretty much the new price for 2 buck chuck
@@igorg3860 Bordeaux wines are always blends. California higher end wines are predominantly if not 100% cabernet. By definition it's actually harder to make a great wine of 1 grape than to blend various grapes. Nonetheless I have respect for old world and new world.
@@igorg3860 I agree as far as reds go. US reds are like US citizens - loud, brash and obnoxious. We have some excellent whites coming out of places other than California but they are overshadowed by the Cabs and Merlots made in Napa. But you have to remember wine making in the US is still only 100 years old. We are teenagers running the streets at night keeping the adults awake. In time we will develop true culture.....or we will run into the front of a train on some internet dare. Only time will tell.
First, I will simply state how very much I appreciate and enjoy your videos. Applause. Corison is amongst my first Napa Valley CabSauv loves, however I've grown to have these as my favorites that I go broke for, annually: Diamond Mountain - great micro-terroir expressions of lower elevation mountain fruit Peter Michael - Au Paradis is just straight Oakville "velvet gloved fist" power Joseph Phelps Insignia - a valley floor compilation Pride - Spring Mountain grace, structure I hope you get to try these at some point.
Also, another factor in pricing on Napa wines is the cost of real estate adds to the over all cost of doing business, thus increasing bottle/case pricing. You should do one on Sonoma wines!
@@tonyperez7907 his wineries are in sonoma county and he just got bought out by delicato from the central valley of California(none of which are in napa or napa County)
With regards to the Judgement of Paris, you were correct on both sides. The guy that owned the wine shop was British but his intention was to teach expatriates about French wines. So he was a "French wine merchant" :) great video as always.
Answering your question of the day, almost a month late; my favorite cabernet sauvignon from Napa Valley has to be the Katheryn Hall. Hall makes some interesting wines but every time I visit I come away with a renewed appreciation of the Katheryn Hall.
You should try the Altamura Wine from the Wood Valley which is East and above the town of Napa. Rich and well made single varietals. All done in the tradition of Southern Italy.
Haha LOVED the fog!! Well done!! Thank you for sharing some different producers. I really enjoy that you input the wine makers' preferences and their intentions with the wines. I have not heard of Matthiasson and Corison. I will have to check them out!
KB... top notch vid here. I would have loved to have tried these wines.. They are out of my price range. Unfortunately for some of the reasons you mention in vid and others, Napa Valley wines (esp Cab Sauv) is too much money. The last time i had one was through an acquaintance, he opened and shared a bottle of ? Opus One or Silverado?? It was real nice...maybe too oaky but silky and rich!
Another great video 👍🏻 I went back in my notes to see what Napa Cabs really impressed me… Heitz Cellars Cab , Martha’s vineyard Far Niente Cab Sav, Oakville Shafer Cab Sav, Hillside Select Paul Hobbs Cab Las Piedras (Beckstoffer-To-Kalon a tad out of my comfort zone) Kathryn Hall Cabernet Napa ( under the radar but excellent) Multiple vintages listed but all of the above seemed to get nothing but positive comments in my notes. Cheers 🍷
I am lucky to having been a wine member of Araujo until 2007, but I am smitten with the lineup of cabernet sauvignon wines from a smaller winery called Larkmead.
Great episode! Love the insight into the history of the region. Luckily, we’re able to enjoy some Napa valley wines here in Southern Ontario Canada 🇨🇦. Our favourite so far is the Robert Mondavi cab. It would be awesome if you could profile some of the stellar vintages we have here in Niagara. There truly are some incredible VQA wines coming out of the area. Are you familiar with the region?
@@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine yes I realized you did Bordaux after I posted. My bad. But I thought your napa video was really great and in-depth. Different temperatures, elevations, regions inside napa etc. would be great to have similar in depth for other areas too. Thanks for making these videos. Great to learn And get your take on various wines.
It is super hard to buy good value Napa Cab in Poland. I would even say extremely hard. Best ones I had i actually brought from my business trips to CA or had then on those trips. I loved Shafer TD-9, Far-niente, Caymus... And The Prisoner. I don't know why but feels like The Prisoner provides great money/value ratio compared to other mentioned.
Don’t forget Mayacamas was also at the Judgement of Paris. And not to nit pick, the third “a” is soft. Maya c(ah)mas. Or that’s how Bob Travers (the wine maker) pronounced it
My favorite Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wine is Paul Hobbs' Dr. Crane Vineyard - year after year it shows a wonderful integration of fruit and minerality. I like the To Kalon wines as well (Hobbs, Schrader, Cliff Lede), but I find they are more plush - fruit forward - lacking a little balance
First of all, thanks for the Wonderful content that you are providing! I am a enthusiast of Napa Valley wines, and visited the place a couple of times, which is not so easy because I live in Brazil. This was a very fair and educated ( of course) representation of the region, because the general perception of the US wines are that all of them are powerful and with a little sugar residual. I love the diversity of NV . And of course some of the wine there are really over the top. But generally they are spot on the balance between freshness and power. And to answer your question , I have a special place for the mountain wines, specially Howell Montain, with the precision and the surprising freshness associated with the full body. My favorite winery of this region in Bremer. The chardonnay of Bremer are something out of this world. But of course I have to give credit also to Chapellet and Dunn that also produce unbelievable gems. Cheers and thanks again !
Oi Gustavo. Se precisar de ajuda na proxima vez que vier visitar NV é só falar. Moro aqui faz seis anos, dois dos quais passei no time de produção da Chappellet. Abraços
I love your channel,I work in a massive restaurant in Melbourne. We sell French, Italian and Australian wine but our wine gets no publicity. The history of Australian vino culture should be talked about more. The only country with more impressive expressions of varietals is France. Please do an episode on Australian wine. If you want I’ll send you some classics.
I've not yet had the privilege of tasting either of those wines as there are no well stocked wine stores here on Vancouver Island however, Cathy's sounds interesting more than the others. I mean, yes, I have had Robert Mondavi cab sauv many times and highly recommend it to my customers though, the Oakville is one that is not sold in stores around the Cowichan Valley where I live.
Thanks for the informative video. It's a challenge trying to give a survey of Napa Valley (red) wines--as you point out, there are so many variables and decisions that go into aging the wine, creating a blend, deciding on how long to age the wine and in what... the list goes on. For me, I am never disappointed with a bottle of Clos du Val. The pinnacle of cabernet (again, for me) is Beaulieu Private Reserve. This is based on over 50 years of following their vintages, marveling at some and "I'm not sure what's going on here" with others.
Great job. I drink mostly European wines (France, Italy, Germany) so for me this was a great introductory crash course to Napa. More importantly, I'm intrigued to see that there are distinct differences in style between producers, similar to Bordeaux and Burgundy, and that le terroir also has a role to play.
Love the "fog" in the video! My favorite is SLWC Cask 23 and the Shafer Hillside Select. I recently opened a bottle of Silver Oak Napa Cab 2006 and was impressed a good 15 year old Napa cab still retains its freshness so well. One thing I appreciate you pointing out is that although the bottle says Cabernet Sauvignon, but it may contain up to 15% of other varietals, which you mentioned for some of these bottlings.
@@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine , thanks for the correction, and I did have to look it up again for confirmation. Along with that, I also discovered that a vintage declaration does not have to be 100% from that year! 😂 Didn't know that either...
Was introduced to your channel today and watched over ten videos in one go! Thank you so much for your content - am working my way through the WSETs and these videos will be a wonderful supplement. :) I was wondering if you Konstantin - or any of the other well-informed people who I’m sure are in the comments section! - had any must have recommendations for wineries to visit in Napa? I’m a Brit who recently moved to the US and it will be my first trip there - am tempted to hit the big names and then do more boutique producers another time? Would be grateful for any advice/opinions!
Matthiasson is a great place to visit. Steve and Jill are great people. Go visit! And do try the Phoenix Cabernet. They make other interesting blends, wines from Italian grapes, which Steve actually grows for other people, and excellent vermouth and olive oil. Much of the fruit they don't grow on property comes from grapes Steve grows for others.
Please don’t forget that the Judgement(s) had shown us the aging potential of Napa. Rubicon 1984 I tasted on the other day was really fantastic… That was something which can rival Bordeaux grand vin!!
Gosh Konstantin...my favorite Napa wine? Phew, impossible to reply, and let me tell you why. Back in the latter part of the 1970's, I had an American friend from LA and we -bachelors- would share multiple bottles together, Bordeaux, Bonnes Mares and the such, and he claimed California wines were good. We both lived in Antwerp (Belgium). I managed to find a book mentioning the better winemakers and -this was before the onset of PC's and Email- typewrited (typewrote?) a dozen letters to Napa and other California vineyards. I believe all replied! So we managed to reach the USA with some soon-to-be-bankrupt airline operator, and drove up to Napa from LA, we set up our tent in some State Park in the middle of the Napa Valley, it may have been Oakville. We were very well received by -working from old memory- Sterling, Mondavi, Joseph Phelps, Spring Mountain, Stag's Leap, Mayacamas, Ch. St. Jean (Sonoma?) and -this was my favorite- Caymus. Back in those days, Charles Wagner Senior was running the place, and his son, Charles Jr. -Chuck- showed us the vineyard, telling us stories from the days when his father was a farmer and wine was a mere agricultural thing. Other than Napa, we also went to David Bruce and to Ridge, both amazing wine producers. I hardly ever drink California wines nowadays, hell, I never drink Bordeaux or Bourgogne either: money, honey! But I'm very happy to enjoy Elodie Balme's delicious Rhone Grenaches, excellent simple Beaujolais from Chermette. Life is worth living! Und...vielen dank, lieber Konstantin!
Was there during your second session in Amsterdam. The Matthiasson was my absolute favourite. What do you think about Shafer One point Five? i think that might be the best Napa Cab i have ever tasted.
Shafer is still one of the best kept secrets in Napa. Hillside Select is right up there with the Harlans, Bryant's, Screagles, for a fraction of the price
@@Brucefulness I agree. The Shafer 1.5 is among the best cabs in Napa at the $100 price point. It is right up there with Hourglass and Spottswoode, both very small producers but have exceptional quality in their wines. If you are looking for something above $100 I would say the Shafer hillside select and JP Insignia are among the top premium priced Napa cabs, often scoring 96-100 its.
I am so glad you tasted Louis M Martini. If you never had the chance, try their Lot no1 (it is their Napa reserve wine). I never tasted such a beautiful, complexe and wonderful wine than their 2016. I tasted it directly at the vineyard. This bottle was a epiphany for me that truly pushed my love for wine to a next level! Years later, I can still taste the bottle by memory! Cheers and keep up your amazing job :)
Lot No. 1 is one of my all time favourite wines. I tasted the '16 at the winery, but better yet in 2018 I opened a magnum of 2006 Lot No 1. Best wine ever!
Hey, is there any way you could do a tasting of the same or similar wine from different vintages. It would be a cool idea to see the specific affects aging has on wine. I am a new wine student and have been loving your videos, keep it up!
Great, thank you! I actually had checked there a couple of months ago and they did not have any. But, I just checked again, and they are back in stock. Thank you again for the great videos!
"1997 Beaulieu Vineyard BV Georges de Latour" Was my first Napa Valley wine. It's the wine that got me really into wine. Because it's in my favorite Movie.
Hello Konstantin! Just found your channel a couple of months ago and it's such a gem in the almost non-existent space of quality wine content creators. Kuddos! If I were to have a request I would love if you could make a recomendation + tasting of some wines which would be considered "super-juicy". I'm thinking (from my own experience) beajulolais, pinot-noir , maybe Nero d'avalo? Anything would be interesting for me and my friends as we really are more into "juciy" wines, more so than high-tannin ones as we have a hard time "tasting through" the tannins while we really enjoy the fruity, aromatic notes of the previous grapes i mentioned. :) Love the videos and content!
Great video! Very informative and full of insight. This video deserves several follow up videos. Howell Mountain, spring mountain, diamond mountain, atlas peak, Rutherford, and Sonoma mountain all are worth covering. Favorite Napa Cabernet for me is tough. I have been so fortunate to try so many of them. 74 Chapallet, 81 Beringer, 1996 Von Strasser, 1991 Jarvis Cave ferment, and many more. But Cade is special to me. My wife and I named our 2nd son after this wine. The 2010 Cade Howell Mountain reserve is very good. Thanks for your videos.
Question: What are some good Bordeaux recommendations (left bank) for someone who primarily has been used to drinking Napa red wines which are predominantly cabernet? I'm looking to explore more French wines
Torn about you highlighting Matthiasson; such a hidden gem as it shows the balance that can be achieved in CA. Note: It's 12.5 - 13% abv but still has concentration, compexity but not heavy..
The Matthiasson cab sounds interesting, different. As well, it sounds less tannic; and Cabernet tannins can give me a notable headache! The best cab I've ever had? A 1988 Woodward Canyon Columbia Valley. Not California, sorry! 😅
How can we access the seminars you mentioned in the very beginning of this video? Do you have videos on Instagram that are not posted here on your UA-cam channel?
Cakebread has a special place in my heart just because it was the first good Napa Cab I ever had. But in 2007 I visited Stag’s Leap and did their reserve tasting. The were pouring the 1988 Fay Vineyard and I fell in love. My first time drinking a quality Cab with some age on it. Now I won’t drink any of my Napa Cabs until at least 10 years of age on it. It’s a real problem… 😂
@@pedromongebravo479 I buy other peoples wines because thats the beauty of wine trying something someone else made, but im not even joking my personal cellar has 600 cases of wine I could drink daily for the rest of my life at this point lol. I really dont need to buy any I just end up buying or getting gifted wine
Best fog animation ever
Thanks ;)
Equally as effective and a lot more efficient than spending 6 hours trying to actually do an animation
Animation?! I thought it was drone footage! … no? XOX
It’s drone Timelapse footage no question
Wonderful Konstantin! Nice to see... teeth changing colors! That is wine tasting!
Perfect. I choose the Mayacamas. It is the iconic Cab Sauvignon I remember from the 80's when I first began tasting and appreciating wine. Since then I have become passionate about wine and have recently attained level 3 Sommelier soon to move into level 4.
My favorite Napa cab is Dominus. Looking forward to trying the Corison. Great video.
I love the map n fog, very educational and it is nice to have a visual understanding which a lot of other wine videos do not have.
A pity that I discovered your channel just after starting my "dry period", but I will enjoy your tips in the Winter 🙂 My favourite is the Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, I tried many Napa Valley Wines and always come back to the Caymus as favourite...
I am a local Sonoma/Napa resident. I am also in the wine biz. My fave is the Corison. I love her story and her grit and I love her independence. She makes wine the way she likes it, not the way others like it. Delicate, refined and super tasty. And she is a personable and delightful woman!
Have you ever tasted Keenan?
@@Lebowski55 I have tasted their wine before but have not done a formal tasting there. I was actually there yesterday. I brought clients there for my wine tour business.
Great video! Visited Napa this summer. We tried to hit the smalled names. Really enjoyed Titus in St. Helena and Ballantine. love to see a video on oregon and Washington wines.
Great Video! Thanks for sharing and tasting Napa Valley wines! Cheers!
Great video, Mr. Baum. My favorite Napa Cab is from Outpost on Howell Mountain. Black fruit with a hint of baking spice, solid tannins, and only gets better with age. But while the Cab is laying down, I find myself enjoying Westwood's Syrah, from Sonoma. Wine country is one of the few things I miss after leaving California. Cheers!
Well done sir and thank you for a review of Napa wines! I live in Saint Helena and work at a winery on Diamond Mountain by Calistoga. I think mountain fruit produces distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon and appreciate you showing examples from valley floor and mountain producers!
Thanks!
Dunn Vineyards in Howell Mountain which is by far my favorite sub appellation in Napa..
This is a great review. It’s so timely for us as we jus came back home from the week long Napa Valley tour. My favourite is the Stag’s Leap Cask 23. Way more robust than everything else I tasted during the tour. I’m also a fan of Louis Martini and Caymus Cabs. By now you could get a sense of my personal preferences.
The Mayacamas defenitely is my favorite! I love it for the structure and elegance! Great video and super tasting!
Absolutely love Napa. Great video. We visit fairly often. And glad to see stag's Leap. Did our first tasting back in march and fell in love
Sounds great!
It was a Caymus 2014 that got me totally hooked on wine. I was blown away by the intensity and complexity of it. It led me down the expensive and delicious rabbit hole of Napa cabs 😋. Thanks for another great video 🙏
Was it the special selection cabernet sauvignon? I found that vintage a few weeks ago but have not opened it yet...
which Caymus was the one you bought? Family Vineyard, Special Selection, Zinfandel, or just the regular $70 Caymus?
One of my all time favorite cabs was their 1987 regular bottling.
Interesting fact, Augusta AVA (Augusta, Missouri USA) is the very first AVA in the United States, Napa Valley AVA was the second.
I love your video especially the old school practical map effects
Decent breakdown of the Napa Valley. Considering that’s where I’m from and got in the wine is in the early 70s was a very educational tasting. Thank you.
I always try to explain this to many European writers that don't always get the chance to taste a lot of the AVAs in Napa. There are big differences between the 16 AVAs when you taste them together. I respect the hell out of Napa even though they aren't my favorite red wines. The Mayacamas is always a classic! Well done.
A personal favoriate Napa Cabernet for me is O'Shaughnessy Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. It is another one that can hold for decades buy I've also enjoyed it very young. The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in this wine are from high on top of Howell Mountain and notably some of the ones grown at the highest altitude in Napa.
O'Shaughnessy is one of my favorites as well.
Great video, thank you. I am an old-timer and really like the BV Private Reserve and the Heitz Marthas Vineyard.
Great video! I have been curious about Napa for a while and with this video you have made me even more excited to try some good wines from there!
One question/suggestion for another video. Would be really fun to get a tour of your wine cellar. Maybe you can show us the wines you’ve had for the longest time and some other special wines. You don’t have to try them.
Very good idea!
This video is a few months old, but my favorite winery is St Supery. Their Elu is always a delight, and their Dollarhide Cab is utterly delicious. I went there in the early 2000s with a friend and we got the upgraded tasting in their old tasting room before they they got put on the map by Robert Parker. We ended up upstairs with an elderly gentleman serving the tastings and we ended up staying for a couple of hours tasting all kinds of wines. Still the best tasting i have ever had, though Quinta dos Corvos in Porto was a close second.
Great vid. Do more like this. Love a regional tasting. Do Sauv Blanc from Marlborough? Do Pinot Noir from Rhone valley?
Corison is always a fav of mine. Great video!
I really like your videos. Not only do you know wine, but your mastery of English is impressive. As a former US military linguist & polyglot, I have a great appreciation for languages and cultures the world over…and I enjoy a nice glass of wine.
Another great episode, thank you again for sharing your immense knowledge and dedication coupled with as always a classic delivery!
Thanks !
I went to Corison yesterday! We saw Cathy, although my friend was too shy to say hello. They served the first five vintages of her Kronos Vineyard, 97-01 and the 2018 wines alongside incredible food. Probably the best Cabernet Sauvignon I have ever tried, better than even Ridge's Montebello.
Nothing like quality Oakville. Ridge cant hold a candle to Corison.
Funny coincidence!
Better than Ridge Montebello! was it a joke?
I usually buy a case of each every year, even worst vintage of Montebello is better than best vintage of Corison. Let's not talk about Montebello 2013 and 2017 that there are good enough that received multiple 100 points. Corison is exceptional if you take the price into account for sure, but better than Montebello???
You're comparing ridge MB to Corison Cab... you're aware MB is double the price, right?
2001 rubicon estate Cabernet and the 2007 Beringer private reserve were my first Napa wines that got me interested in California wines. Currently live in Seattle and am really enjoying Washington and Oregon wines, a very diversity of different varietals available.
Konstantin, many thanks for sharing this. Very well done, with great explanations of terroir and producers. By chance, are you considering featuring other US regions in future tastings? Paso, Columbia Valley, Willamette Valley??
Yes would love to have Konstantin review some of the Columbia Valley and Willamette Valley pinots
Southern Oregon Rogue Valley as well
Konstantin, I have really liked your videos, they are very entertaining and loaded with great tasting notes. One minor note is that you used the word altitude when describing the mountain vineyards when you really meant elevation. Keep up the videos, they are fun to watch. You should do more videos with your assistant, he has a great youthful enthusiasm and a pretty good knowledge of wine. You are a great addition to the MW world. Cheers, Jamie
Thanks for the tips!
serious question here JB, what is the difference between altitude and elevation in your opinion? thanks
Enjoyed this very much. Corison is on my wishlist
I learn so much with you!God bless you
Great!
This was a nice and educational showcasing of Napa, including the presentation/rendering of fog creeping through the valley floor 🤣❤️ As always, K.B., did an outstanding job describing so many important aspects of wine. Although I can appreciate if K.B. thought his own showcasing sounded a bit repetitive by the end, I learned so much! Furthermore, I can appreciate why several of these bottles were selected for K.B’s review even though there are hundreds more worthy of the spotlight. A six bottle lineup with various stylistic expressions is no small task! K.B., to answer your question, another great one is Ehlers Estate-admittedly, this was one of the first vineyard I visited with my wife, so there is some dream-like emotion tied to the experience, which I imagine, distorts my memory over-time. Beautiful wine, serene location, nice history, sweet story and family mission/vision. Any plans to showcase more of California and their creativity on this Channel (sorry if I’ve missed it…)? Any plans to see how Texas wines are developing? I’m sure countless people would appreciate your insight, critique, and guidance. All the best.
I’m from Texas and don’t like them much. I’ve been in California a while and think they’re much better. I will say it’s been a while since I’ve had them.
The wines in Bryan / College station are too sweet. Near Marble Falls they’re somewhat flat - not structure for aging or elegant.
However, I’m gonna be in Fredericksburg in a couple of weeks and I will absolutely keep an open mind. Hopefully I can find some decent ones.
In my opinion, two great things came from the Judgement of Paris: 1) It was a kick in the pants to the French who had frankly gotten lazy in their wine making due to their reputation being enough to sell the wines. In the long run far better wines ended up coming out of France after the Judgement and that is good for everyone! 2) It was shown that with care and diligent wine making you can make great wines anywhere and that opened up not just California but New York, Australia, Chili, South Africa, etc. We are in a golden age of wines where great stuff is available all over. That is good for us, the consumers.
I would say Napa wine makers started to get a bit lazy in the 90s making monolithic high alcohol monsters but it appears more artisans are starting to make wines there now-days and that may save Napa from the same fugue the French were in during the 70s.
Exactly. What happened to France happened to Napa in getting complacent. The recent vintages in Napa are amazing, but I remember the higher octane wines you described.
The judgement of France didn't change the fact that American wines are mostly miserable under 50 bucks. Even a broken clock is right once a day and for some reason this one event is what Americans keep bringing up over and over and over again, so tired of that stroke of luck. California is a ridiculous comparison with Bordeaux because the American culture simply has no style. There's just no nuance, sorry America but you'll never understand Proust.
I agree. I understand that Napa is expensive and so are taxes etc etc etc. it’s mind boggling that European wines can still be imported and bought from a retailer here for $20 and be good, while $20 for domestic stuff is pretty much the new price for 2 buck chuck
@@igorg3860 Bordeaux wines are always blends. California higher end wines are predominantly if not 100% cabernet. By definition it's actually harder to make a great wine of 1 grape than to blend various grapes. Nonetheless I have respect for old world and new world.
@@igorg3860 I agree as far as reds go. US reds are like US citizens - loud, brash and obnoxious. We have some excellent whites coming out of places other than California but they are overshadowed by the Cabs and Merlots made in Napa. But you have to remember wine making in the US is still only 100 years old. We are teenagers running the streets at night keeping the adults awake. In time we will develop true culture.....or we will run into the front of a train on some internet dare. Only time will tell.
First, I will simply state how very much I appreciate and enjoy your videos. Applause.
Corison is amongst my first Napa Valley CabSauv loves, however I've grown to have these as my favorites that I go broke for, annually:
Diamond Mountain - great micro-terroir expressions of lower elevation mountain fruit
Peter Michael - Au Paradis is just straight Oakville "velvet gloved fist" power
Joseph Phelps Insignia - a valley floor compilation
Pride - Spring Mountain grace, structure
I hope you get to try these at some point.
Also, another factor in pricing on Napa wines is the cost of real estate adds to the over all cost of doing business, thus increasing bottle/case pricing. You should do one on Sonoma wines!
You can blame Frances Copala who raises all the prices. Yes, he owns most of all Napa
@@tonyperez7907 his wineries are in sonoma county and he just got bought out by delicato from the central valley of California(none of which are in napa or napa County)
"Enjoyed tasting these wines without an audience to entertain..." SO TRUE great vid
With regards to the Judgement of Paris, you were correct on both sides. The guy that owned the wine shop was British but his intention was to teach expatriates about French wines. So he was a "French wine merchant" :) great video as always.
Thats true...
The gent's name was Steven (Stephen?) Spurrier, Caves de la Madeleine...once went there, charming English gentleman indeed.
Answering your question of the day, almost a month late; my favorite cabernet sauvignon from Napa Valley has to be the Katheryn Hall. Hall makes some interesting wines but every time I visit I come away with a renewed appreciation of the Katheryn Hall.
You should try the Altamura Wine from the Wood Valley which is East and above the town of Napa. Rich and well made single varietals. All done in the tradition of Southern Italy.
Enjoyed your Napa review.
Glad you enjoyed it
Haha LOVED the fog!! Well done!! Thank you for sharing some different producers. I really enjoy that you input the wine makers' preferences and their intentions with the wines. I have not heard of Matthiasson and Corison. I will have to check them out!
Thanks!
Fogg ! Is that what it was. Scary.
Excellent review abs education.
Great video, very well done.
KB... top notch vid here. I would have loved to have tried these wines.. They are out of my price range. Unfortunately for some of the reasons you mention in vid and others, Napa Valley wines (esp Cab Sauv) is too much money. The last time i had one was through an acquaintance, he opened and shared a bottle of ? Opus One or Silverado?? It was real nice...maybe too oaky but silky and rich!
My favorite Napa Valley wine was grown in the San Joaquin basin lol
Another great video 👍🏻
I went back in my notes to see what Napa Cabs really impressed me…
Heitz Cellars Cab , Martha’s vineyard
Far Niente Cab Sav, Oakville
Shafer Cab Sav, Hillside Select
Paul Hobbs Cab Las Piedras (Beckstoffer-To-Kalon a tad out of my comfort zone)
Kathryn Hall Cabernet Napa ( under the radar but excellent)
Multiple vintages listed but all of the above seemed to get nothing but positive comments in my notes.
Cheers 🍷
This was absolutely perfect.
Very informative, cheers!
I am lucky to having been a wine member of Araujo until 2007, but I am smitten with the lineup of cabernet sauvignon wines from a smaller winery called Larkmead.
Fantastic vídeo, thank you!
Glad you liked it!
Mayacamas is in a league of its own. Amazing juice.
Well have a look at that, my all time favorite wine Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Fay!
Turnbull Black Label is one of our faves. Essere' Franco 2013 Proprietary Red is pretty amazing too. Hall 'Kathryn' is another fave.
Adding these to my list
Great episode! Love the insight into the history of the region. Luckily, we’re able to enjoy some Napa valley wines here in Southern Ontario Canada 🇨🇦. Our favourite so far is the Robert Mondavi cab. It would be awesome if you could profile some of the stellar vintages we have here in Niagara. There truly are some incredible VQA wines coming out of the area. Are you familiar with the region?
Thanks for doing these videos
I Love your content konstantin, can you make a wine tasting of italian wines, maybe bolgheri or piedmont ones
This was really good. Can you do similar reviews of other famous wine districts? Ie rioja, Bordaux, Oregon etc etc
I have done something on Bordeaux and on other regions too
@@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine yes I realized you did Bordaux after I posted. My bad. But I thought your napa video was really great and in-depth. Different temperatures, elevations, regions inside napa etc. would be great to have similar in depth for other areas too. Thanks for making these videos. Great to learn
And get your take on various wines.
It is super hard to buy good value Napa Cab in Poland. I would even say extremely hard. Best ones I had i actually brought from my business trips to CA or had then on those trips. I loved Shafer TD-9, Far-niente, Caymus... And The Prisoner. I don't know why but feels like The Prisoner provides great money/value ratio compared to other mentioned.
Agree qith The Prisoner. (Caymus over rated)
@@alainduchesneau4265 for the price (around 100$) definitely :) it is very good wine though.
Move to Quebec. It’s 55$ Canadian 😆
@@alainduchesneau4265 Caymus? I paid that in CA...I think you meant Prisoner :)
We've had the 2007 Fay. Great.
Comprehensive and informative as usual.
My favorite Cab is Chateau Montelena. It’s not as explosive as say Caymus, but that’s what I like about it.
Don’t forget Mayacamas was also at the Judgement of Paris. And not to nit pick, the third “a” is soft. Maya c(ah)mas. Or that’s how Bob Travers (the wine maker) pronounced it
My favorite Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wine is Paul Hobbs' Dr. Crane Vineyard - year after year it shows a wonderful integration of fruit and minerality. I like the To Kalon wines as well (Hobbs, Schrader, Cliff Lede), but I find they are more plush - fruit forward - lacking a little balance
Take a drive south to Paso Robles , try Austin Hope , Emercy and Booker
First of all, thanks for the Wonderful content that you are providing! I am a enthusiast of Napa Valley wines, and visited the place a couple of times, which is not so easy because I live in Brazil. This was a very fair and educated ( of course) representation of the region, because the general perception of the US wines are that all of them are powerful and with a little sugar residual. I love the diversity of NV . And of course some of the wine there are really over the top. But generally they are spot on the balance between freshness and power. And to answer your question , I have a special place for the mountain wines, specially Howell Montain, with the precision and the surprising freshness associated with the full body. My favorite winery of this region in Bremer. The chardonnay of Bremer are something out of this world. But of course I have to give credit also to Chapellet and Dunn that also produce unbelievable gems. Cheers and thanks again !
Thanks for sharing
Oi Gustavo. Se precisar de ajuda na proxima vez que vier visitar NV é só falar. Moro aqui faz seis anos, dois dos quais passei no time de produção da Chappellet. Abraços
@@otaviomarques6299 que show ! Da próxima vez que for vou te procurar ! Abraços e bom ano !
I love your channel,I work in a massive restaurant in Melbourne. We sell French, Italian and Australian wine but our wine gets no publicity. The history of Australian vino culture should be talked about more. The only country with more impressive expressions of varietals is France. Please do an episode on Australian wine. If you want I’ll send you some classics.
I once had a Pen folds Bin 389 that was fantastic.
I've not yet had the privilege of tasting either of those wines as there are no well stocked wine stores here on Vancouver Island however, Cathy's sounds interesting more than the others. I mean, yes, I have had Robert Mondavi cab sauv many times and highly recommend it to my customers though, the Oakville is one that is not sold in stores around the Cowichan Valley where I live.
I am from California so there may be some unconscious favoritism. I just have to say I liked how thoughtful and considerate this video was!
You should do a show on his life story. Seriously interesting the beginnings of the giant called Napa Valley Cabernet.
Thanks for the informative video. It's a challenge trying to give a survey of Napa Valley (red) wines--as you point out, there are so many variables and decisions that go into aging the wine, creating a blend, deciding on how long to age the wine and in what... the list goes on. For me, I am never disappointed with a bottle of Clos du Val. The pinnacle of cabernet (again, for me) is Beaulieu Private Reserve. This is based on over 50 years of following their vintages, marveling at some and "I'm not sure what's going on here" with others.
Great job. I drink mostly European wines (France, Italy, Germany) so for me this was a great introductory crash course to Napa. More importantly, I'm intrigued to see that there are distinct differences in style between producers, similar to Bordeaux and Burgundy, and that le terroir also has a role to play.
Love the "fog" in the video! My favorite is SLWC Cask 23 and the Shafer Hillside Select. I recently opened a bottle of Silver Oak Napa Cab 2006 and was impressed a good 15 year old Napa cab still retains its freshness so well.
One thing I appreciate you pointing out is that although the bottle says Cabernet Sauvignon, but it may contain up to 15% of other varietals, which you mentioned for some of these bottlings.
In the US the wine may contain up to 25% other varietals, when one variety is on the label.
@@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine , thanks for the correction, and I did have to look it up again for confirmation. Along with that, I also discovered that a vintage declaration does not have to be 100% from that year! 😂 Didn't know that either...
I always have one bottle. Instead a few that take a couple days to enjoy. I shall try that something new sometime. soon!
Was introduced to your channel today and watched over ten videos in one go! Thank you so much for your content - am working my way through the WSETs and these videos will be a wonderful supplement. :)
I was wondering if you Konstantin - or any of the other well-informed people who I’m sure are in the comments section! - had any must have recommendations for wineries to visit in Napa? I’m a Brit who recently moved to the US and it will be my first trip there - am tempted to hit the big names and then do more boutique producers another time? Would be grateful for any advice/opinions!
The ones from the tasting should be a grea starting point.
Great vid Konstantin! Curious if you’ve tried any wines from Paso Robles particularly Austin Hope? Keep up the great content!
Yes I have!
@@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine would be interesting to hear your thoughts! Austin Hope was a gateway wine for me.
Matthiasson is a great place to visit. Steve and Jill are great people. Go visit! And do try the Phoenix Cabernet. They make other interesting blends, wines from Italian grapes, which Steve actually grows for other people, and excellent vermouth and olive oil. Much of the fruit they don't grow on property comes from grapes Steve grows for others.
Please don’t forget that the Judgement(s) had shown us the aging potential of Napa. Rubicon 1984 I tasted on the other day was really fantastic… That was something which can rival Bordeaux grand vin!!
Hi Konstantin. Just discovered your channel. Great video. May I ask where you got these 3D maps?
They are given out by the Napa Valley Vintners .
@@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine thank you
Gosh Konstantin...my favorite Napa wine? Phew, impossible to reply, and let me tell you why. Back in the latter part of the 1970's, I had an American friend from LA and we -bachelors- would share multiple bottles together, Bordeaux, Bonnes Mares and the such, and he claimed California wines were good. We both lived in Antwerp (Belgium). I managed to find a book mentioning the better winemakers and -this was before the onset of PC's and Email- typewrited (typewrote?) a dozen letters to Napa and other California vineyards. I believe all replied! So we managed to reach the USA with some soon-to-be-bankrupt airline operator, and drove up to Napa from LA, we set up our tent in some State Park in the middle of the Napa Valley, it may have been Oakville. We were very well received by -working from old memory- Sterling, Mondavi, Joseph Phelps, Spring Mountain, Stag's Leap, Mayacamas, Ch. St. Jean (Sonoma?) and -this was my favorite- Caymus. Back in those days, Charles Wagner Senior was running the place, and his son, Charles Jr. -Chuck- showed us the vineyard, telling us stories from the days when his father was a farmer and wine was a mere agricultural thing.
Other than Napa, we also went to David Bruce and to Ridge, both amazing wine producers.
I hardly ever drink California wines nowadays, hell, I never drink Bordeaux or Bourgogne either: money, honey! But I'm very happy to enjoy Elodie Balme's delicious Rhone Grenaches, excellent simple Beaujolais from Chermette. Life is worth living! Und...vielen dank, lieber Konstantin!
Was there during your second session in Amsterdam. The Matthiasson was my absolute favourite. What do you think about Shafer One point Five? i think that might be the best Napa Cab i have ever tasted.
Shafer is still one of the best kept secrets in Napa. Hillside Select is right up there with the Harlans, Bryant's, Screagles, for a fraction of the price
It is very good!
@@Brucefulness I agree. The Shafer 1.5 is among the best cabs in Napa at the $100 price point. It is right up there with Hourglass and Spottswoode, both very small producers but have exceptional quality in their wines. If you are looking for something above $100 I would say the Shafer hillside select and JP Insignia are among the top premium priced Napa cabs, often scoring 96-100 its.
I am so glad you tasted Louis M Martini. If you never had the chance, try their Lot no1 (it is their Napa reserve wine). I never tasted such a beautiful, complexe and wonderful wine than their 2016. I tasted it directly at the vineyard. This bottle was a epiphany for me that truly pushed my love for wine to a next level! Years later, I can still taste the bottle by memory! Cheers and keep up your amazing job :)
talking about M.M. - i drank the monte rosso cabernet last week (2016) - truly an outstanding wine! ... so i guess i also have to try lot no1 then :)
Lot No. 1 is one of my all time favourite wines. I tasted the '16 at the winery, but better yet in 2018 I opened a magnum of 2006 Lot No 1. Best wine ever!
@@johnmcclane264 I have a few bottles of the Monte Rosse 2012 Cabernet and it tastes like it's from 2019. So much aging potential there!
I believe they are the oldest winery in Napa.
Oh wow. We just had the inexpensive Sonoma cab and disliked it. It was smoky. But maybe we need to try their better offerings.
Hey, is there any way you could do a tasting of the same or similar wine from different vintages. It would be a cool idea to see the specific affects aging has on wine. I am a new wine student and have been loving your videos, keep it up!
Great video, thank you. Is it possible to buy the 3D Napa map featured in this video? I have looked for it online, but cannot seem to find it.
I believe so. I got it from the Napa Valley Vintners. Maybe they sell them online.
Great, thank you! I actually had checked there a couple of months ago and they did not have any. But, I just checked again, and they are back in stock. Thank you again for the great videos!
"1997 Beaulieu Vineyard BV Georges de Latour"
Was my first Napa Valley wine.
It's the wine that got me really into wine. Because it's in my favorite Movie.
What movie is it in?
@@garnol12 Zombieland
I’ll have to check that movie out. George de Latour is the only bottle I’ve ever had from my birth year ‘83 so it caught my eye
@@garnol12 wow that's cool. Same for me with the 1997 ^^
outstanding content. keep it up.
Much appreciated!
Hello Konstantin!
Just found your channel a couple of months ago and it's such a gem in the almost non-existent space of quality wine content creators. Kuddos!
If I were to have a request I would love if you could make a recomendation + tasting of some wines which would be considered "super-juicy".
I'm thinking (from my own experience) beajulolais, pinot-noir , maybe Nero d'avalo? Anything would be interesting for me and my friends as we really are more into "juciy" wines, more so than high-tannin ones as we have a hard time "tasting through" the tannins while we really enjoy the fruity, aromatic notes of the previous grapes i mentioned. :)
Love the videos and content!
Great video! Very informative and full of insight. This video deserves several follow up videos. Howell Mountain, spring mountain, diamond mountain, atlas peak, Rutherford, and Sonoma mountain all are worth covering. Favorite Napa Cabernet for me is tough. I have been so fortunate to try so many of them. 74 Chapallet, 81 Beringer, 1996 Von Strasser, 1991 Jarvis Cave ferment, and many more. But Cade is special to me. My wife and I named our 2nd son after this wine. The 2010 Cade Howell Mountain reserve is very good. Thanks for your videos.
Loved the high-tech fog graphics :-P
They almost looked real ... :)
Question: What are some good Bordeaux recommendations (left bank) for someone who primarily has been used to drinking Napa red wines which are predominantly cabernet? I'm looking to explore more French wines
Pauillac is a bit bigger but quite a few top Bdx are getting more similar to Napa .
Torn about you highlighting Matthiasson; such a hidden gem as it shows the balance that can be achieved in CA. Note: It's 12.5 - 13% abv but still has concentration, compexity but not heavy..
The Matthiasson cab sounds interesting, different.
As well, it sounds less tannic; and Cabernet tannins can give me a notable headache!
The best cab I've ever had? A 1988 Woodward Canyon Columbia Valley. Not California, sorry! 😅
Thank you!
You're welcome!
How can we access the seminars you mentioned in the very beginning of this video? Do you have videos on Instagram that are not posted here on your UA-cam channel?
I was doing in person seminars in 5 different countries. If you follow me on insta you will find out about upcoming events.
Opus One my fav cab from Napa vallley!
Cakebread has a special place in my heart just because it was the first good Napa Cab I ever had. But in 2007 I visited Stag’s Leap and did their reserve tasting. The were pouring the 1988 Fay Vineyard and I fell in love. My first time drinking a quality Cab with some age on it. Now I won’t drink any of my Napa Cabs until at least 10 years of age on it. It’s a real problem… 😂
You really need to do the best Napa wines on a budget.
Sadly that no longer exists napa is just expensive you will never pay under $90 for a wine even on the low end now.
@@pilsplease7561 definitely not true. But yes it is stupid expensive. And also, there are still good wines at ok prices in Napa
@@pedromongebravo479 Not anything I would buy as a winemaker lol.
If you’re a winemaker you definitely shouldn’t be buying wine, good for you, but not helpful here
@@pedromongebravo479 I buy other peoples wines because thats the beauty of wine trying something someone else made, but im not even joking my personal cellar has 600 cases of wine I could drink daily for the rest of my life at this point lol. I really dont need to buy any I just end up buying or getting gifted wine