BACKGROUND
The Spanish Franciscan Missionaries planting vines in the state starting with California. In the 1919 in the US was declared the sale of alcohol illegal, therefore many American families began to make their own wine at home. In 1976 California producers entered their wines in a blind tasting, comparing California wines with French. The judging panel was exclusively French, so it was a shock when the Californian wines were ranked the highest in both competition categories: Chardonnays and reds. The results of what became known as the Judgment of Paris were reported in Time Magazine.
Cabernet Sauvignon - 14.5%. Alc. Vol.
OPUS ONE
Opus One, one of the most well-known wineries in California and in the world. The union of Old and New World and the perfect merge of two legendary wine producers, Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild creating Opus One in 1980. Highly rated by critics every vintage is instantly sold out.
Cabernet Sauvignon - 14.5%. Alc. Vol.
Screaming Eagle
In 1986 Jean Phillips purchased the winery, it was a mixture of grape varieties. Jean decided to sell majority to local wineries and keeping a small plot with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc vines. The first bottle of 1992 was released in 1995, the wine critic Robert Parker awarded the wine 99 points. In 2006 Stan Kroenke and Charles Banks bought the estate and since 2009 Stan Kroenke has been the only owner of the estate. The first vintage bottle of Sauvignon Blanc was 2010 making only few cases per year.
Cabernet Sauvignon - 14.5%. Alc. Vol.
HARLAN ESTATE
It started few years prior 1984, when Bill Harlen and Robert Mondavi went to Bordeaux and Burgundy getting the idea of First Growth wine. In 1987 Bill had his first harvest however the results were not what he expected, it was 1990 vintage to be released for the first time to the market, Harlen Estate became one of the best Californian wines. The vines are planted on the hill and growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot.