Berger's "Collapse of Cabernet"

Peter Creasey

Peter Creasey

Peter Creasey
For more than a decade, I have hoped for a miracle. Then last week I realized the worst: Cabernet sauvignon has changed so appreciably that I fear we’ll never see it in the way we once did.

Cabernet has undergone a makeover that has, probably forever, made it little more than a parody of itself, entering a realm that 20 years ago I never would have believed.

Today, California cabernet is a virtual wine, made to be consumed as an aperitif and as young as possible. A long book could be devoted to this sad tale of decline. What follows is a brief look at the collapse of what once was California’s most prized possession.
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This has been a thesis point for Dan Berger for quite some time.

The Collapse of Cabernet

. . . . . . Pete
 
originally posted by Peter Creasey:

This has been a thesis point for Dan Berger for quite some time.
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He certainly paints with a broad brush, but that doesn't mean that the subject isn't worthy of a gymnasium-sized mural instead of a meticulous painting the size of a wine label.

Although I don't drink much of it any more, old school Cabernet Sauvignon still exists; even in Napa Valley you've got people such as Mayacamas, Ritchie Creek, Smith-Madrone, and Tudal (mentioned in the article) making wine in what might be considered the traditional style. Alcohol levels have crept up over the years but the wines still tend toward savory sensations and they reward aging. They don't get lots of points from most of the reviewers but I'm not seeing any of these wines on any of the wine closeout emails that still flood my inbox daily.

Besides, it sounds like Berger pays attention to the prognostications and hard facts divined by Christian Miller so he's probably correct in his assertion that drinkable Cabernet in general is going to hell in a handbasket.

As to the contention that the fatuous and vapid nature of much modern-day Cabernet has led to the increased popularity of Pinot Noir, I think that that's more about the popularity of "Sideways" among the wine lifestyle people than it is them having had a come to Jesus moment with a bottle of Bryant Family or Screaming Eagle and realizing that it wasn't a fulfilling experience. So too was the uptick in Merlot sales back in the 1990s- that wasn't due to consumers getting fed up with high futures prices for Bordeaux but because "60 Minutes" told everyone that they should drink red wine to improve their health and "Mair-low" was easier (and more fun) to pronounce than "Cab-ur-nay-saw-vinyawn". Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

-Eden (just wondering why Dan B didn't proffer any solutions to the problem. Whingeing is all well and good, but where's his Call To Action, his Manifesto of Change, his nomination for a Moses-like figure to lead the innocents out of the desert?)(or the dessert, if they're drinking really frooty/sweet cabs)
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
Obviously, people named Dan can't be trusted.
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I missed my opportunity to sequester a Dan back in the 1990's in Berkeley but he did have a benevolent impact on my wine exposure. Such benign dictatorships need to be celebrated and I continue to do so from an enormous distance.

But faith endures and the palate forages onward, ever seeking.

All tongue in cheek.
 
originally posted by Karen Goetz:
Dan ahoy!
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
Obviously, people named Dan can't be trusted.
Click to expand...

I missed my opportunity to sequester a Dan back in the 1990's in Berkeley but he did have a benevolent impact on my wine exposure. Such benign dictatorships need to be celebrated and I continue to do so from an enormous distance.

But faith endures and the palate forages onward, ever seeking.

All tongue in cheek.
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Ha! Thank you.
 
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