In reaction to a recent post on my lack of appreciation for the "cult Cab" phenomenon, reader Stephen D. McKimmey of Dallas writes:
"Just a quick note agreeing with your assessment on Napa cult Cabs. These wines can certainly be good; even great. I’ve been lucky enough to taste a few of these wines. However, the celebrity and exclusiveness to which these wines aspire to has become a real turn-off for me. It’s all about conspicuous consumption for the privileged few with the resources to purchase these wines.
"Bravo for them; I’m happy for their success, but these wines have little relevance to the workingman. Even worse, many of the critics spend the vast majority of their time and space reviewing wines that 95 percent of us will never taste and/or afford. These critics have lost their way and become like the snobs they once abhorred. There are many of us out there intensely interested in wine, but with absolutely no interest in purchasing a bottle that cost over $100 per bottle.
"Critics: Please quit wasting my time writing lengthy epistles about Lafite, Latour and Colgin and ignoring the small producer in Paso Robles, Santa Barbara or Walla Walla; I can’t afford the blue-blood wines, nor are they a part of my day-to-day wine experience. Please give us more information about up-and-comers and wines providing real quality and value; there are a lot of these wines out there we never hear about.
"Mr. Whitley, thanks for your excellent work; I sense you still care about the average consumer."
Truth be told, I care about all consumers, even those who would spends sums of money on a bottle of wine that I wouldn’t even consider in my wildest dreams.
It has been my philosophy over the more than 20 years that I’ve been dispensing opinions on wine to have a little something for everyone — with reviews and commentary that address the full spectrum of the wine world, across all price points.
But the so-called "cult Cabs" hardly fit my definition of a wine aimed at the consumer, even the wealthy consumer. My sense is most of the cult Cabs are never opened and consumed. They have become a hot commodity on the auction circuit and, thus, too valuable to drink.
I realize the occasional cork gets pulled, but by and large, many of the buyers of these rare and expensive wines are merely investors looking to exploit what is called the "after market" for cult wines. They may have an interest in wine, too, but their primary objective is a good investment, not a great wine for dinner.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to drink the best. In that regard, the Napa Valley (home of the majority of the cult Cabs) has plenty to offer at prices that are not beyond the reach of the everyday wine enthusiast who is willing to splurge on occasion.
In the original column, I cited Cabernet Sauvignons from Joseph Phelps Vineyards and Grgich Hills Cellars — two iconic producers that have proven themselves worthy over decades of brilliance. For $50 to $60, just about anybody can afford to purchase one of these wines and enjoy a taste of two wines that helped make the Napa Valley the most coveted destination for wine in the United States.
That’s not cheap, but it can be done.
For a few bucks more, other superb and time-tested Napa Valley Cabernets can be at your fingertips: Spottswoode, Corison, Nickel & Nickel, Stag’s Leap Winery, Diamond Creek, Far Niente, Silver Oak, Heitz, etc. Obviously, I could go on.
Wines of this ilk, even though expensive by everyday standards, deserve to be evaluated and reviewed by the critics. After all, they are wines that someone, maybe even you, might actually drink.
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