"Laurel Glen is one of California's most admirable operations, and its estate Cabernet Sauvignon is at the top of the qualitative hierarchy. Proprietor Patrick Campbell's superb Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard on the slopes overlooking the Sonoma Valley has proven to be one of the finest sources for Cabernet in California. The use of traditional winemaking techniques designed not to strip the wine results in a wine that is full of character." - R. Parker

"I have a degree in neither viticulture nor enology. In short, I have the proper credentials for winemaking." - Patrick Campbell 

Patrick Campbell and his wife, Faith purchased the 3 acre Laurel Glen Vineyard on Sonoma Mountain in 1977, and have expanded the vineyard holdings over the years to the present 35 acres. Campbell established the Laurel Glen Winery in 1981, and has quietly been producing one of the finest California Cabernet Sauvignons ever since. It's not a cult wine, and not the object of greedy desire among cherry pickers, it's just damned good Cabernet. Laurel Glen is comprised of eight different sub-vineyards, each with unique soils and exposures that run the gamut from south-east to north-east, at elevations from 800 to 1000 feet. Campbell feels that the distinctive terroir and slightly austere growing conditions on Sonoma Mountain creates a distinctive wine, and that the eastern exposure in particular makes for a more round, less tannic wine. And yet, these are wines that demand some time to develop, and to soften up those tannins, often starting to show their true charm only after 10 years or more in the cellar.

Mark Horvatich, a longtime fan of Laurel Glen (he supplied the '86 and '91 bottlings for this tasting), suggested their estate Cabernets as a Friday night theme, and our savvy, intrepid crew had no trouble rounding up 7 older vintages for evaluation. 

1986 Laurel Glen Sonoma Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon: There's little rust as of yet to the dark garnet color, and I get a big hit of forest pond right off the bat on the nose. It opens in the glass to show earthy black currant, cassis, glove leather and what Backwoods Bob describes as green tea. Still some tannins here, but they're not at all obtrusive, and while this smooth, harmonious cabernet is showing really well right now, it has yet to peak. There's definitely a Bordeaux - like quality here, and that's fine with me. 

1991 Laurel Glen Sonoma Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, 12.5% alc.: This deep, dark garnet shows a cedar, sweet spice, cassis and black currant character that is rich and delicious. Again, the tannins are unobtrusive, the texture is smooth and lovely and the wine is still on the way up. 

I find these first two selections to walk a fine line in style between Bordeaux and California, much like Ridge Monte Bello, and when I say so, Mark agrees, adding that both are two of his very favorite California cabernet sauvignons on a very short list. About the '86 Laurel Glen, he remarked, "I've always found this to be the best Californian cab of the decade," adding, "to me, the '86 and '91 are about as good as Californian cab gets." 

1992 Laurel Glen Sonoma Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, 12.5% alc.: Mark noted that there was a style change between the '91 and '92, and it is evident from tasting them side by side. Another deep, dark garnet colored cab, this is a bit poopy on the nose at first, but that dissipates to reveal sweet spicy black currant, and black berry, with a cedary accent. The fruit is richer and riper, but not as substantial in depth of body and finish. More Californian in style than Bordeaux, and while Mark opined that "it hasn't aged as well as previous vintages," it would be a mistake to conclude that it's not a very fine wine on its own terms, and indeed, it will continue to improve for at least a few more years. 

1993 Laurel Glen Sonoma Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.5% alc.: There's a slight cloudiness to the dark garnet color here, and a little barnyard blows off of the nose to reveal sweet spice, cassis, black currant, blackberry and plum aromatics that follow through very nicely in the flavors, all with earthy undertones. Tannins are more obvious than in the '92, but again, not obtrusive; sweeter, more Californian in style, and delicious.

1994 Laurel Glen Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon Counterpoint, 12.5% alc.: No one had the '94 Estate bottling, but this filled in admirably, and indeed, Mark describes Counterpoint as "for me, the best under $20 cab made in California." One can't argue with that statement if this one is any indication. It shows a deep, dark garnet color that borders on the opaque, with perfumed cassis, blackberry and even some black cherry to its profile. Lovely cabernet character, with pretty much fully resolved tannins; not quite as big, and not quite as deep as the Estate bottlings, but delicious in its own right, and great quality for the price. 

1995 Laurel Glen Sonoma Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, 12.5% alc.: This inky garnet shows iodine and black currant on the nose, with sweet cassis, plum and blackberry underneath; flavors echo with some cedary overtones, a hint of dark chocolate and substantial tannins that need a minimum of five years in the cellar. Tons of promise with this, so be patient, and hold, don't drink. 

1996 Laurel Glen Sonoma Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.5% alc.: Almost opaque purple garnet in color, with a tight cassis and black currant nose showing hints of cedar and sea air. These follow through more expressively on the palate, but while this is "approachable," it's still years away from optimum drinking, so do the right thing, and just let it sleep.

All in all, this was a most impressive and enjoyable survey from a producer that I'm sorry I haven't had more experience with previously. I've heard that later vintages of Laurel Glen don't quite measure up to those that we tasted here, so if you should run into any of the earlier models at a reasonable price (for instance, I have a line on a stash of '95s going for a little more than the cost at release), and having seen good storage conditions, I would highly recommend any of them.