Wish They All Could Be California Wines

(WSJ) - SOME CALL IT Old World snobbery. Others, an aversion to any wine produced with high alcohol and lush fruit. Whatever the reason, in European wine circles Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon can divide opinion.

Those who love it embrace the pioneering attitude of its makers and the approachable style of their wine. Those who decry it lament the heady, sometimes overpowering smell of creamy, vanilla-flavored new oak and the alcohol levels of sometimes 15% and more, which can startle palates used to levels of around 12% or less.

What isn't in doubt is the quality of these brazen, rapacious red wines. At their best, they take what in Bordeaux is a marriage of black currant and cedar, and turn it into an explosion of sweet black fruits, eucalyptus and violets. Once sipped, this is met with smooth, supple tannins and a warm, velvety texture. They seem to lack the hardness one finds in European Cabernet Sauvignon and, as such, can be drunk relatively young.

In a world where we are constantly in thrall to new trends and in search of the next big thing, it is always worth revisiting the classics. As Doug Shafer, winemaker and proprietor of Napa Valley's Shafer Vineyards, says: "Unfortunately it is not new news or earth-shattering, but it is what it is. Napa is a good spot for Cab—without a doubt."

The trick is in the valley's Mediterranean-style climate. "I like to use the Goldilocks analogy," says Mr. Shafer. "It is not too hot and it is not too cold. It's that combination of warm days and cool nights, so you get good ripening and you have the retention of good acidity. What you end up with is good Cabernet."