2021 Ballentine Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2021 Ballentine Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $50-$60Cabernet SauvignonCalistogaKevin VogtNapaSaint HelenaUSA

Ballentine

Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley 2021

2021 Ballentine Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Established in 1905, Ballentine Vineyards embodies the enduring legacy of Napa Valley winemaking. For over a century, the Ballentine family has nurtured this tradition, with Frank Ballentine, the fourth generation, now at the helm. Guided by the seasoned expertise of winemaker Bruce Devlin, Frank oversees every aspect of wine production, walking the historic estate vineyards and shaping the winery’s distinctive style.

Ballentine’s 75 acres of vineyards, nestled within the prestigious St. Helena and Calistoga appellations, symbolize generations of dedication. Each vine reflects a history of resilience, cultivated with a deep respect for the land and a commitment to sustainable practices.

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, a culmination of this rich heritage, is crafted with meticulous care and unwavering passion. Hand-selected from the finest vineyards, the fruit is expertly blended with 12% Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot, creating a seamless harmony of elegance and spice. Aged for 19 months in French oak, the wine unfolds with layers of richness, structure, and finesse, offering a sophisticated expression of Napa Valley’s timeless allure.

Ballentine
Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley 2021

Your Price: $59.99

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“The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown, with 11.5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, and 3.5% Petit Verdot in the blend, is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. It comes barreling out with notes of warm cassis, juicy plums, and cedar plus wafts of graphite and bay leaves. The full-bodied palate is laden with classic black berry and savory flavors supported by grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with a refreshing herbal lift.”

93 Points

2022 Steps Barrel Select Reserve Napa Valley

2022 Steps Barrel Select Reserve Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Atlas PeakCalistogaKevin VogtNapaOak KnollProprietary RedSaint HelenaUSA

Steps

Barrel Select Reserve
Napa Valley 2022

2022 Steps Barrel Select Reserve Napa Valley

The 2022 Steps Reserve Barrel Select embodies the exceptional artistry of Grant Long, Jr., a renowned winemaker celebrated for his work at Aonair, Reverie II, and James Joseph. Grant possesses a unique talent for crafting both approachable and elegant wines, transforming each barrel into a harmonious expression of texture, balance, and enduring appeal.

Sourced from premier vineyards across Napa Valley – Saint Helena, Oak Knoll, Atlas Peak, and Calistoga – the 2022 Steps Reserve showcases a captivating interplay of lush valley floor fruit and structured mountain grapes. This meticulously crafted blend, centered around Cabernet Sauvignon and interwoven with Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, exemplifies Grant’s ability to translate Napa Valley’s diverse terroir into a genuinely captivating wine.

After 18 months of careful aging in French oak, the 2022 Steps Reserve Barrel Select unfolds with layers of rich, penetrating flavors. Polished yet vibrant, this wine promises a journey of evolution, maturing gracefully into a paragon of sophistication over time.

Steps
Barrel Select Reserve
Napa Valley 2022

Your Price: $49.99

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“The Steps 2022 Reserve Barrel Select opens with supple fruit aromas of plums and black currants, accompanied by notes of sweet spices, chocolate fudge, graphite, new leather, and cedar. On the palate, the wine is penetrating and concentrated with flavors of blackberries, black plums, allspice, gingerbread, vanilla extract, and toasted hazelnuts. The wine has a sultry structure with silky tannins that glide into a long, smooth finish like a sunset slowly fading into twilight.”

95 Points

2021 Stanton Petite Sirah St. Helena

2021 Stanton Petite Sirah St. Helena

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtNapaPetite SirahSaint HelenaUSA

Stanton

Petite Sirah
St. Helena 2021

2021 Stanton Petite Sirah St. Helena

Doug Stanton’s Petite Sirah is a gem of Napa Valley, embodying the Stanton family’s legacy of exceptional winemaking. Their journey began in 1947 when Jesse Stanton purchased a 100-acre vineyard in Napa Valley, laying the foundation for a generational story rooted in the land. In 1999, the family took a bold step forward, launching their label to showcase the fruits of their labor. Today, they tend three vineyards—Oakville, Mills Lane, and J.B. Ranch in St. Helena. Their grapes are so coveted that they supply top producers like Merryvale, Del Dotto, Orin Swift, and Groth. 

Doug Stanton, Jesse’s grandson and the current steward of this winemaking legacy, has an affinity for Petite Sirah. In 2004, inspired by the varietal’s bold character, Doug crafted a 100% Petite Sirah, marking a milestone for the winery. This decision gave rise to one of Stanton Vineyards’ hallmark wines, celebrated for its robust structure, velvety tannins, and vibrant fruit. 

Aged for 20 months in premium oak, this wine reveals layers of spice that meld seamlessly with its dark berry core, creating an irresistible symphony of flavors. Bright acidity provides lift and energy, while the tannins promise longevity, making this wine equally captivating now or after years in the cellar.

Stanton
Petite Sirah
St. Helena 2021

Your Price: $49.99

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“Spicy and earthy character with dark berries, cloves and hints of undergrowth. Full-bodied, rich and fruit-forward, with a deep core of succulent berry fruit and creamy tannins. Long and intense. Drink or hold.”

91 Points

2021 Lewis Cellars Mason's Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2021 Lewis Cellars Mason’s Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $70-$80Cabernet SauvignonCalistogaKevin VogtNapaOak KnollRutherfordSaint HelenaUSA

Lewis Cellars

Mason’s Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley 2021

2021 Lewis Cellars Mason's Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Randy Lewis’s journey to winemaking is as captivating as his former life on the racetrack. A professional race car driver, passionate about speed and precision, Randy’s trajectory took a dramatic turn following a life-altering crash during the 1991 Indianapolis 500 qualifiers. This near-fatal incident ignited a new passion, inspiring him to craft world-class wines.

In 1992, Randy and his wife, Debbie, founded Lewis Cellars. They brought the same focus and dedication to winemaking that once propelled him to success on the track. Over the past three decades, Lewis Cellars has become synonymous with excellence, garnering numerous 90+ point scores and achieving the prestigious title of Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year in 2016.

The 2021 Mason’s Cabernet Sauvignon embodies the winery’s meticulous attention to detail and commitment to sourcing from Napa Valley’s premier vineyard sites, including Calistoga, St. Helena, Rutherford, and Oak Knoll. This wine reflects a vintage characterized by intensity and concentration, offering ripe blackberry, cassis, and subtle spice aromas. With its robust structure and refined tannins, Mason’s balances power and elegance, delivering a sensory experience that deepens with each sip.

Lewis Cellars
Mason’s Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley 2021

Your Price: $79.99

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“The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Mason’s Cabernet is a smoking value offering a big, rich, mouthful of ripe black fruit as well as full-bodied richness, ripe, velvety tannins, no hard edges, and classic Cabernet tobacco, spice, and chocolate nuances.”

94 Points

2021 Heir Apparent Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley

2021 Heir Apparent Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonCalistogaKevin VogtNapaRutherfordSaint HelenaUSA

Heir Apparent

Cabernet Sauvignon
Reserve 2021
Napa Valley

2021 Heir Apparent Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley

Winemaker Dwight Bonwell describes Heir Apparent’s 2021 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon as a wine of captivating elegance, a testament to its unique character. Crafted with precision, Dwight showcases his exceptional blending prowess, sourcing from premier vineyards in Rutherford, St. Helena, and Calistoga. The result is a multi-faceted wine that beautifully captures the distinctive personality of Napa Valley, making it a standout choice for wine enthusiasts.

Crafted from the winery’s most expressive barrels, the 2021 vintage, inspired by Bordeaux’s left bank, showcases 80% Cabernet Sauvignon complemented by Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot to enhance the mid-palate and maintain balance. 

Aged for 22 months in Oak, the 2021 vintage already flaunts concentrated red and black fruits, intricate complexity, and impeccable balance. Priced at $125, it has garnered impressive scores and glowing reviews. At $45, its greatness awaits your verdict.

Heir Apparent
Cabernet Sauvignon
Reserve 2021
Napa Valley
Retails at: $125

Your Price: $45

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“Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve rolls out with ready-to-go notes of creme de cassis, baked plums, and Morello cherries plus wafts of dried Provence herbs and crushed rocks. The full-bodied palate is rich and plush, with bags of black fruit preserves and seamless freshness, finishing with a peppery lift.”

92 Points

2018 Sequum Cabernet Sauvignon Kidd Ranch Vineyard Napa Valley

2018 Sequum Cabernet Sauvignon Kidd Ranch Vineyard Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaSaint HelenaUSA

SEQUUM

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
KIDD RANCH VINEYARD
NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 Sequum Cabernet Sauvignon Kidd Ranch Vineyard Napa Valley
Sequum is a boutique winery based in Saint Helena, led by Paul Skinner, who combines his Ph.D. in viticulture and soil science with his deep connections in the wine industry to create balanced wines with a powerful sense of place. 
 
Paul spent two decades consulting for premium vineyards before starting his winery in 2003, which is now blended and bottled at Pride Mountain Vineyards.
 
The cooler 2018 growing season is known for producing red wines with elegance, and this Cabernet Sauvignon is nuanced and sophisticated while exhibiting power and depth throughout the finish. It promises a divine wine-drinking experience and has many years of cellaring potential.
 
SEQUUM
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
KIDD RANCH VINEYARD
NAPA VALLEY 2018
Retails at: $75
 
 
 
“The Sequum Kidd Ranch Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 begins with an intense nose of black currants, Italian glove leather, baking spices, milk chocolate, Kalamata olives, and French lavender. The rich palate continues with ripe red and black plums and tart red cherries, combining a complex savory note with sweet vanilla spice. It has an outstanding balance of rich, ripe black fruits intermixed with tart, bright red fruits, intertwined in a way where the red fruits lift the heavier dark fruits to create a wine with impeccable power, elegance, grace, liveliness, and length. Congratulations to Paul Skinner and his team for making another beautiful vintage of this wine.”
95 Points

2018 Grand Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaRutherfordSaint HelenaUSA

GRAND NAPA 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
RESERVE NAPA VALLEY 2018

Grand Napa Vineyards in Rutherford produces rich, full-bodied wines with depth and character from premium vineyards in Napa Valley, hand-selected by winemaker Dwight Bonewell. Dwight’s involvement in the vineyards ensures harvesting only the highest quality fruit before he works his magic in the winery, carefully nurturing each vineyard’s unique character into its purest expression.
 
Grand Napa’s 2018 Reserve Cabernet arose from prime sites in Rutherford, St. Helena, and Coombsville, compellingly representing the vintage and distinct origins. The 2018 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon spent 22 months in 50% new French oak and 50% two-year-old oak giving a graceful balance between fruit and spice components from the oak, plush tannins, and impressive depth and structure.
 
GRAND NAPA 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
RESERVE NAPA VALLEY 2018
Retails at: $110
 
 
 
“Another terrific wine, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve offers lots of blackcurrants, spice box, tobacco leaf, and chocolatey nuances to go with a full-bodied style on the palate. It has the 2018 vintage’s fresher, more elegant style yet brings ample fruit and has an expansive, layered mouthfeel as well as a great finish. It’s another wine to enjoy any time over the coming 15-20 years.”
94 Points
2018 AXR Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2018 AXR Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $70-$80Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaSaint HelenaUSA

AXR

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 AXR Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
AXR’s historic estate in St. Helena sits at the base of the Mayacamas range, where sedimentary soils accumulated from thousands of years of runoff, resulting in a geography that produces wines of enviable character. The mastermind behind their wines is Jean Hoefliger, who’s drawn experience working in the cellars at Chateau Carbonnieux and Chateau Lynch-Bages in Bordeaux, bringing a Grand Cru Classé element to his new-world wines.
 
The 2018 AXR Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon exemplifies the estate’s benchmark style with powerful, lush tannins and rich flavors, arising from a vintage the Wine Spectator describes as “spectacular.” If you’re looking for a pedigreed, super high-scoring Napa Valley Cabernet under $100, this one’s pretty darn incredible.
 
AXR
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2018
Retails at: $88
 
Your Price: $79.99
 
 
“Wonderful aromas of currants, plums, lavender, slate and violets follow through to a full body with tight, chewy tannins that are polished and beautiful. Lovely texture and firmness to the opulent, vivid fruit. Opulence with form. Give this at least four or five years to come together. A blend of key single vineyards. Try after 2024.”
97 Points
 
“Refined in rich red fruit, savory spice and bolts of black pepper, this lovely appellation wine shows a roundedness and length—the tannins sweet and well integrated. Dark-plum, cherry and mocha flavors layer atop the smooth texture, providing tremendous quality and complexity for the price.”
95 Points, Editors’ Choice
2018 Beau Vigne Romeo Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2018 Beau Vigne Romeo Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $50-$60Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleRutherfordSaint HelenaUSA

BEAU VIGNE

ROMEO CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 Beau Vigne Romeo Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
With over two decades of winemaking experience, Julien Fayard has earned respect among winemakers in Napa Valley. He began in his family’s Provençal winery, then spent valuable time in Bordeaux at Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte. After relocating to Napa Valley, Julien worked as the Director of Winemaking for Philippe Melka and currently oversees small boutique wineries, including Beau Vigne, combining his elegant French winemaking style with bold California elements.
 
The Beau Vigne Romeo Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 is a charming blend of premier vineyards in Oakville, Rutherford, and St. Helena that’s impossible not to love. Beau Vigne’s limited production is a prize to behold, especially in exceptional vintages such as 2018 that will continue to deliver with an elegant demeanor and complementary depth.
 
BEAU VIGNE
ROMEO CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2018
Retails at: $100
 
 
 
“Dark chocolate cherry and roasted coffee intensity glides in on a sleek mouthfeel. Seductive notes of blackberry and licorice rise up to a massive shouldered – yet balanced – red. In his youth, Romeo is cloaked in dark violet flowers that bloom as the wine opens up.”
97 Points
2018 Grand Napa Master Red Napa Valley

2018 Grand Napa Master Red Napa Valley

with No Comment $30-$40CoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaProprietary RedSaint HelenaUSA

GRAND NAPA 

MASTER RED
NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 Grand Napa Master Red Napa Valley
Grand Napa Vineyards in Rutherford produces full-bodied wines with depth, character, and balance from select vineyards that give fruit with powerful concentration and plush tannins. Winemaker Dwight Bonewell is involved in the vineyards and the winery, ensuring that only the best fruit is harvested and sorted by hand before coaxing each vineyard’s unique character into its purest expression.
 
The Master Red is a tribute to the early award-winning Bordeaux style blends from Napa, combining 55% Cabernet Sauvignon with almost equal parts Merlot and Malbec, all grown in Coombsville and Saint Helena, attributing complexity from cooler and warmer parts of the Valley. 2018 is an exquisite vintage due to ideal growing conditions without any significant heatwaves, allowing to wine to be delicately layered with complex aromas and flavors that would make the early wines of Napa genuinely proud.
 
GRAND NAPA 
MASTER RED
NAPA VALLEY 2018
Retails at: $90
 
Your Price: $36
 
 
“Loads of black cherries, currants, tobacco leaf, chocolate, and spring flower notes emerge from the 2018 Master Red. A medium to full-bodied, lightly textured blend with integrated tannins and a clean, classy finish, I’d be thrilled to drink bottles any time over the coming 10-15 years.” 
92 Points
 
“Savory aromas of dried mushroom and oyster shell on the nose, layered with dried blackcurrant and tobacco. It’s medium- to full-bodied with sleek, integrated tannins. Flavorful with a juicy, savory finish. Try from 2021.” 
92 Points