Originally Posted by
SukiB
....I feel that the Californian style lends itself more readily to immediate gratification.
There is nothing wrong with robustness and ripe fruit flavours, but this is all down to personal preference, and as you suggest "better" is down to personal preference, occasion, and budget.
This is a sweeping generalisation. Have you tried Opus One for instance which tastes brutally tannic even at 10 years old as it is grown and blended for longevity?
I tend to find Californian high end wines to offer far more subtlety than other new world originators and often more subtlety and quality than old world vineyards. I particiularly love Napa Sauvignon Blanc which is made in style somewhat different from other SB.
The odd thing is that it is very hard to buy really good quality Californian wine outside of the U.S.