A few quick thoughts on the 2002 Groth Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Geekery
In his 1989 book California’s Great Cabernets, James Laube of Wine Spectator ranks Groth’s estate Cabernet Sauvignon as one of the “Third Growths” of California–putting it on par with other great wines like Shafer’s Hillside Select, Louis Martini’s Monte Rosso and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars’ SLV and above Laube’s “Fourth Growths” of Silver Oak Napa Valley, Joseph Phelps’ Backus Vineyard and Rombauer’s Le Meilleur du Chai.
Founded in 1982 by Dennis Groth, a former executive of Atari, and his wife Judy, the winery owns a little over 136 sustainably farmed acres between their Oakville Estate Vineyard and Hillview Vineyard in Yountville. Usually Groth produces a reserve Cabernet (which Laube ranked as a “Second Growth” on par with Dominus and Grace Family Vineyards) but because of vineyard replanting no reserve Cab was produced between the 2000 and 2004 vintages.
The 2002 vintage of the Oakville Cab was 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Merlot. The wine saw 23 months in 50% new French oak.
The Wine
Medium plus intensity nose. Rich roasted coffee aromas with savory black tea notes. You would expect this to be served by a barista.
On the palate you can find some fruit but it is more dried red cranberry and currants. The coffee and tea notes carry through and are met with more savory notes of leather and meatiness. Medium acidity still gives the wine life and balances well with the soft medium tannins.
The Verdict
If you’re needing a Starbucks fix, the huge roasted coffee aromas in this Groth Oakville Cab will get you jonesing even more for the java.
It’s clear that this wine is on the waning side of maturity but it still had immense character with a lot of story left to tell. This is a wine worth savoring over a couple hours with good friends as each sniff and sip reveals something different.
Being an older vintage, the price will vary but at between $75-95 it is a solid bet for someone who likes elegant and savory Cabernet Sauvignons.