1993 Durney Vineyards, Cachagua Cabernet, Carmel Valley.
The Bordeaux style and nicely drinking old Durney 1993 Cachagua Cabernet (Sauvignon) may have peaked, but still is offering up a brilliant performance with dark and earthy mulberry, currant, plum and dusty cherry fruits, only slightly showing stewed elements, sous bois and autnum decay of normal aging, along with anise, cedar, sage and coffee grounds. The flavors are pure old Cabernet and everything is balanced and velvety in tannic structure with a nice lift of acidity in a medium bodied and complex wine. This was one of the last years the wines were labeled under the original Durney Vineyards, before turning into the Heller’s Organic Estate, after the Durney family sold it to the Hellers. The Durney’s originally planted this 100 acre property, now known as the Massa Estate, back in 1968 making this the oldest in the Carmel Valley region, with many of the old vines still producing here, including the Cabernet Sauvignon parcels, along with Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Pinot Noir, as well as some incredible Chenin Blanc, plus some Chardonnay. The Cachagua part of Carmel Valley is secluded, but still ifluenced by the Pacific, and set on gravelly soils and well-drained loams derived from decomposing shale, which with long sunny days make it a quality home to Bordeaux varitals.
The Hellers brought their organic vision for the ranch to life in 1993 and Rich Tanguay, who was winemaker at Heller until 2016, cut his teeth on wines like this 1993 Cachagua Cabernet, which is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, but surely included a good dose Franc and some small amounts of the other Bordeaux varietals. The Heller’s got full organic certified in 1996 and the estate has remained that way until now, even though the Massa family have now themselves sold the property in 2025 and the future is uncertain. That all has made this wine a fantastic piece of Carmel Valley history that shined in the glass and was delicous with a range of cuisine, including lamb and beef. I had brought this bottle to a restaurant to share with friends, to get a perspsctive on older Carmel Valley wines, and like a bottle of Durney 1990, a non Heller example, this wine was very good and drinking beautifully. These old Cabernets were all traditionally made and quite old school in style with robust tannins and a bit higher acidity, compared to Napa Valley, needing more bottle age to come together, decades in some! This was probably aged in soley French oak low toast Bordeaux barrels with mostly used wood, since the Hellers were shy on spending money. Since the Massa’s sold off the property the old library wines have since turned up online and I highly recommend grabbing the early ninities Cabernet.
($40-60 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive