Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/913027
{ SOMMjournal.com } 115 Considering the early hype, the panel's final conclusions on these vintages were astonishing. Where they had marveled at the youthfulness of most of the 30-year- old '87s, the somms questioned whether the two younger wines would age as well in the long run. Beally characterized these wines as "full-on, over-the-top," and others wondered whether the fruit would outlast the oak. Ultimately, the consensus was that the '97 and '07 wines were simply "not as interest - ing as the '87s." Lindsay-Thorsen put it well: "These are lush, crowd-pleasing wines, but they lack the introspection of the 1987s. They don't leave much to the imagination." What could explain how wines from a more difficult year aged more gracefully than wines from "near-perfect" vintages? The somms suspect the linear progression of ripeness is more likely due to score- driven winemaking decisions rather than the effects of global warming. As Dulle observed, "There's a marked shift in style from the 1987s. These younger wines have more ripe - ness, higher alcohol, and more oak." The majority of the '97 and '07 wines followed this stylistic trend, but the wines showing relative restraint won higher praise. The 1997 Jordan, which showed both New World exuberance and Old World finesse, received special kudos for best "straddling the middle ground between Bordeaux and California." Frog's Leap presented well again in the 2007 flight, as did Mayacamas. In the more extroverted style, the two 1997 favorites were Sonoma's Alexander Valley Vineyards and Napa's Joseph Phelps. While discussing their takeaways, the somms noted how the retrospective had clearly illuminated the evolution of California Cabernet winemaking as the region sought its own identity. The first decade showed California's early emulation of Bordeaux, while the later vintage style increasingly har - kened back to the brash American alacrity typified in Rhapsody in Blue. To the somms, aged California Cabs aren't a "one-style-fits-all" proposition. As Clark argued, there's a place for both styles in a wine program. "People who're used to drinking really young Cabs may not appreciate the '87s, and people who collect wines for ageing might not like these '97s and '07s," he said. "At the end of the day, our job is to match wines to our customers' preferences." One thing is certain: The question that couldn't be answered in 1976 received its reply in 2017. Most of the 1987 Cabernets we tasted had aged with grace, attained greater complexity, and are still shining with life . . . 30 years and counting. The 1997 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon was a standout in the retrospective. Martin Beally, Wine Director at Wild Ginger in Seattle, inspects the color of the 30-year-old Cabernet.