The pursuit of a great bottle of California Cabernet Sauvignon is a journey through sun-drenched vineyards and meticulous winemaking. While personal taste is paramount, understanding the impact of vintage—the weather conditions of a particular growing season—is key to unlocking the region’s finest expressions. Certain years stand out as benchmarks of quality, offering exceptional balance, complexity, and aging potential. Here is a guide to the best recent vintages for California Cabernet Sauvignon. The Hallmarks of a Great Vintage

Posted on October 18, 2025

Before listing specific years, it’s important to know what makes them great. Ideal conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon in California include:

• A warm, consistent growing season to achieve optimal ripeness.
• A lack of extreme heat spikes, which can stress vines and produce overly alcoholic or “jammy” wines.
• A long, gradual fall with cool nights, which helps grapes retain acidity and develop complex flavors.
• Minimal rain during the harvest period to prevent dilution and rot.

Standout Vintages to Seek Out

2018

Widely hailed as a modern classic, the 2018 vintage is one of near-perfection. A long, moderate growing season with no major heat events allowed for a long hang time. The resulting wines are profoundly balanced, with deep, concentrated fruit, refined tannins, and vibrant acidity. They are powerful yet elegant, with immense aging potential. This is a benchmark year to buy with confidence.

2016

Following several drought years, 2016 provided a welcome reprieve with timely winter rains. The season was steady and warm, leading to wines of exceptional structure and purity. Cabernets from 2016 are known for their classic profile: ripe blackcurrant and cassis flavors, firm but polished tannins, and a long, expressive finish. They are approachable now but will continue to evolve beautifully for years.

2013

A legendary vintage that set a high bar for the decade. The 2013 growing season was ideal, with perfect weather from spring through harvest. The wines are intensely concentrated, rich, and powerful, yet they maintain a remarkable sense of balance and finesse. Tannins are abundant but silky. These are cellar-worthy wines that represent the pinnacle of Napa Valley Cabernet.

2019

Similar in quality to 2018, 2019 produced another stellar lineup. The vintage yielded wines that are perhaps slightly more approachable in their youth than the 2018s, with a plush, generous fruit character and supple tannins. They offer incredible drinkability now but possess the depth and structure to suggest a long and prosperous life ahead.

A Note on “Challenging” Vintages

It is worth noting that a vintage deemed “challenging” (such as 2011 or 2017, which were marked by rain and wildfires, respectively) does not mean all wines from that year are poor. In such years, the skill of the winemaker and the location of the vineyard become critically important. Many top producers still crafted outstanding wines by being highly selective with their fruit.

Ultimately, the “best” year is the one that aligns with your palate and purpose. The vintages listed here—2013, 2016, 2018, and 2019—represent a golden era for California Cabernet Sauvignon and offer a superb starting point for any enthusiast or collector.

Vineyards Ringing Regarding ‘Cal-Ital’ Varietals

Posted on November 28, 2021

Vineyards Humming Regarding ‘Cal-Ital’ Varietals

Cal-Ital refers to Italian varietals grown in The golden state and also is the brand-new buzzword among some winemakers.

The golden state’s wine nation was greatly improved Italian-American grape growers, like Sam & Vicki Sebastiani of Viansa Winery, specializing in Italian varietals.

To learn of the details of Italian wines, Viansa Winery provides a few Italian varietals worth sampling, together with some ideas on how you can combine them with foods for a complete epicurean experience.

* Sangiovese: A functional wine, versatile to several foods, from pizza to passionate minestrone. “Piccolo” Sangiovese is a medium-bodied wine with a bouquet of raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and also a tip of smoky tar to a plum-like savory surface.

“Thalia” Sangiovese is a facility, robust wine mixed with 80 percent Sangiovese, 16 percent Red wine, 4 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, and also much less compared to 1 percent Cabernet Franc. Aged for 15 months in oak barrels, “Thalia” is suggested to be decanted for an hour before serving with selections like veal or smoked duck busts with cherry chutney.

* Barbera: Viansa’s mix of 93 percent Barbera and also 7 percent Nebbiolo, the “Augusto” Barbera has flavors of cherries, raspberries and also strawberries. It’s the excellent wine with cheese and salami. It likewise pairs well with lamb and rabbit.

* Nebbiolo: With distinctive fragrances of strawberries, roses, mint and also tar, this red wine is a perfect selection for meals featuring the earthy flavors of mushrooms and truffles.

* Vernaccia: Viansa is among the few producers of Vernaccia in the USA. This white wine is renowned to the Tuscan area of Italy. It shows tastes of celebrity fruit, mild melons as well as a crisp acid finish, in addition to flavors of pineapple, banana, hints of pear, dried fruit as well as creamy butterscotch, making it best to drink on its own.

* Pinot Grigio: Gathered from Viansa’s Sonoma Valley Estate, the 2004 “Vittoria” Pinot Grigio has light flavors of apricots, pears as well as green apples with hints of orange, lingering hazelnut and macadamia tastes. This wine sets nicely with shellfish, white fish, poultry and also veal.

* Tocai Friulano: A brand-new white wine for Viansa flaunting fragrances of apricot, guava, pineapple as well as glazed nuts. Viansa pushed whole collections of fruit and fermented the wine in stainless steel in order to protect the brilliant fruit tastes. This brand-new wine is the perfect buddy for shellfish like oysters and mussels.