2015 The Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Estate

2015 The Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Estate

THE VINEYARD HOUSE

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2015 OAKVILLE ESTATE 

2015 The Vineyard House Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Estate
The Vineyard House is my go-to recommendation for anyone looking for $500 quality in Cabernet, but at a price that’s less than half that. Surrounding their Estate Vineyard are properties owned by Harlan Estate, Promontory, and Futo, which garner around $500 to $1600 per bottle. Jeremy Nickel owns the winery, and the brand is a tribute to his late father, Gil Nickel, of Far Niente and Nickel & Nickel wineries. The wine is under-the-radar, for now, but based upon the extreme quality inside the bottle and pedigree of the land, the brand will likely be a future cult wine.
 
Jeremy’s property is elevated above the benchlands of Oakville, overlooking To-Kalon and Martha’s Vineyards. The vines are grown in volcanic and sedimentary bedrock and produce fruit with superior concentration, power, and depth. 
 
This stunning wine emerges from one of Napa Valley’s top vintages, which the Wine Spectator describes as producing “significantly lower yields…Quality is high.” After developing for 24 months in oak, this remarkable wine expresses everything that I look forward to in upper echelon Oakville Cabernet. Still, we priced it at less than half of what you’d expect. 
 
THE VINEYARD HOUSE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2015 OAKVILLE ESTATE
Retails at: $225
 
 
 
“The Vineyard House Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 is picture-perfect. Of all the Cabernet Sauvignons I taste every year, The Vineyard House always stands out as one of the best-of-the-best Napa Cabernets that could easily challenge any contender. It’s powerfully brooding, with a linear element that makes it incredibly complex and seamless, along with remarkable purity. It is a towering wine with a mouth-watering combination of wild Burgundy plums, crushed mountain blackberries, smooth blue fruits, and elegant florals. It has a defined presence on your palate, but with all elements perfectly in place. The finish stays on your palate long enough to evolve as it slowly expands, then tapers for over a minute. It’s simply a delight to behold, and you can enjoy it now and over the next couple of decades.”
97 Points
 
“Our 2015 Cab is a case study of power & balance. This reddish-purple wine displays concentrated aromas of blackcurrants, blackberries, redcurrants, crème de cassis, violets, rosehips, tobacco leaf, forest floor, and pencil lead. Its seamless tannic structure and bright acidity will provide the stuffing for great longevity in your cellar. Patience will pay off in dividends, but our extended barrel aging adds a supple nature to the wine allowing for accessibility in its youth. The 2015 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon will not disappoint with its polished but intense personality.”
2016 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2016 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

SILVER OAK

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2016 NAPA VALLEY

2016 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Silver Oak is consistent in its distinctive style of crafting age-worthy Cabernets with extravagant levels of sweet black fruits, vanilla, and savory elements. In exceptional years like 2016, those qualities become even more powerful and pronounced. The brand has dominated the space for high-quality domestic Cabernet Sauvignon over the past four decades, and their 2016 Napa release is among their finest.
 
This wine hails from the remarkable 2016 vintage, which the Wine Spectator ranks as the highest-rated vintage for Napa Valley Cabernet since 1997. The vintage produced powerful wines with superb intensity, balance, and fully-developed favors. 
 
Silver Oak’s distinct style comes by aging their Napa Valley Cabernet for an impressive 24 months in American oak barrels and two more years in the bottle before release. The extended barrel aging and time in the bottle results in a wine with beautifully integrated flavors that’s ready to drink now and will stand the test of time. 
 
SILVER OAK
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2016 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $125
 
 
“Deep ruby in color, the 2016 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is an opulent wine with notes of cassis, ripe raspberry, toasted coconut and shiitake mushroom. This wine has a rich entry, depth through the mid-palate, great structure without being heavy and exceptional length on the finish. Fresh cherry flavors balanced with floral notes and a subtle hint of black pepper add a beautiful complexity. Plush tannins lend to its ageworthiness. Given proper cellaring conditions, this wine will show beautifully through 2040.”
2017 Altagracia Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

2017 Altagracia Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

ALTAGRACIA

2017 EISELE VINEYARD
CABERNET SAUVIGNON

2017 Altagracia Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
The Eisele Vineyard dates back to the 1880s and is one of the New World’s great terroirs. The site was made famous by the Araujos in the 1990s through 2013 when Chateau Latour purchased it. Today, they farm the vineyard organically and biodynamically, and the new owners aim to make singular wines of the highest caliber. The wines invariably express remarkable depth, elegance, longevity, and balance. At around a quarter of their top Eisele Vineyard Cabernet’s price, Altagracia offers a beautiful introduction to this magical Estate.
 
At Eisele Vineyard, winemaking takes a back seat to terroir, allowing the vineyard to express its most clear voice. There is no signature style to their winemaking, yet their team is precise, uncompromising, natural, and honest in their approach, and all of this is highly transparent in their wines. 
 
The vineyard sits at the Eastern edge of Calistoga, at the Palisade Mountain Range base, where an ancient creekbed that bisects the Estate spread an alluvial fan of cobbly volcanic soils that make this site unique. The vines there produce small berries of thick-skinned, intensely flavored grapes. 
 
ALTAGRACIA
2017 EISELE VINEYARD
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
 
Your Price: $135
 
 
“Blackberry and tile aromas with tobacco and spice. Some chocolate, too. Medium to full body and firm, velvety tannins that show a juicy finish. Fine yet dusty tannins. Rich for the vintage. Delicious now or hold.”
94 Points
 
“… Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Altagracia leaps from the glass, offering bold, expressive notes of blackberry pie, Black Forest cake and warm cassis with hints of garrigue, mossy tree bark, dusty soil and black pepper plus a fragrant waft of cinnamon stick. Medium to full-bodied, the palate offers a great core of rich, spicy black fruit preserves, framed with firm, chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing earthy.”
93 Points
 
“The 2017 Altagracia is closer to its brother the Eisele Vineyard Cabernet than ever. The nose is floral and delicate at first, opening with a whiff of laurel, musk and patchouli. The mouthfeel is generous and ample with spicy notes of cumin and turmeric. The tannins are fine and chiseled, revealed by a gentle hand on extraction in the cellar. Notes of mocha, espresso and graphite linger on the palate while the fruit breaks out in the finish with fresh fig and black currant, reminding us of the tiny berries that were the signature of the 2017 vintage.”
2016 Palmaz Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2016 Palmaz Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

PALMAZ

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2016 NAPA VALLEY 

2016 Palmaz Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Palmaz combines cutting-edge technology, talent, and a passion for producing riveting Napa Valley wines. They believe in farming each vine, rather than the entire vineyard as a whole, and they achieve this through advanced Geographic Informational Systems. They also have consultants like legendary viticulturist Mike Wolf and top consulting winemaker Mia Klein to help give voice to their incredible Coombsville vineyard. Their 2016 Napa Cabernet is classically styled, profound, and penetrating, and at around $150, it stunningly delivers everything Cabernet lovers want. 
 
The winery itself is an architectural marvel, extending 18 stories underground, created for gravity-flow winemaking, eliminating mechanical pumps and minimizing the turbulence that damages wines’ molecular structure.
 
Emerging from the blockbuster 2016 vintage, which ranks as the highest-rated vintage since 1997 according to the Wine Spectator Vintage Report, this 2016 is powerfully elegant and effortlessly balanced. 
 
PALMAZ
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2016 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $165
 
Your Price: $150
 
 
“With a greeting of freshly fired creme brûlée and toasted currant, the 2016 Palmaz Cabernet draws you in for a cozy embrace. Comforting flavors of vanilla, caramel, and baked boysenberry dance across the palate. The voluptuous fruit flavors are effortlessly balanced with elegant tannins that cover the tongue like a feather – spreading to every hidden taste bud in the deepest corners of the palate. An everlasting finish that holds steadfast, begging to be remembered – satisfied only by the indulgence of a second glass.”
2014 The Mascot Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2014 The Mascot Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

THE MASCOT

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2014 NAPA VALLEY

2014 The Mascot Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
If you’re looking for a Cabernet Sauvignon that mirrors qualities you’d expect from Napa Valley’s most upper echelon wines, made with the same meticulous farming and skilled winemaking methods, Will Harlan’s The Mascot should top your list… The pedigree of the grapes, combined with high-profile winemaking, makes it a hedonistic pleasure to enjoy.
 
The Mascot Cabernet Sauvignon arose from distinct hillside vineyards; specifically from the comparatively younger vines of BOND, Harlan Estate, and Promontory. Drawing fruit from blocks of more recently replanted vineyards, The Mascot has such deep and expansive flavors and is so compelling, it’ll make you question how you got a wine of this regal quality for this price…
 
While the winery doesn’t specify exact grape varietal percentages in each vintage, The Mascot has historically been 90% or more Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot. 
 
THE MASCOT
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2014 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $140
 
“…Red fruit and baking spice intermingle on the nose, while on entry, the wine is soft, gently accelerating as it reveals athletic structure and shape, culminating in transparency and poise.”
2017 Opus One Proprietary Red Napa Valley

2017 Opus One Proprietary Red Napa Valley

OPUS ONE 

PROPRIETARY RED
2017 NAPA VALLEY

2017 Opus One Proprietary Red Napa Valley
Opus One began in 1979 with a powerful partnership between two titans of the industry, Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Chateau Mouton Rothschild. They shared dream of producing a single Napa wine dedicated to the pursuit of uncompromising quality. The wine is a blend of Bordeaux varieties that’s often centered around a core of approximately 80% Cabernet Sauvignon. Their winemaking team strives to capture each vintage’s character and perfectly balances power, finesse, structure, and texture. Their 2017 vintage does just that, and with a string of 95-96 point reviews, it may not be available for long. 
 
The winery’s Estate vineyards are centered in the Western portion of Oakville and include 100 acres inside the highly celebrated To-Kalon Vineyard. They complement the To-Kalon fruit with two other parcels that surround the winery. 
 
The 2017 vintage blends four of Bordeaux’s top five varietals with 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec. The wine spent 17 months in barrel and was cellared for an additional 15 months in bottle before release. 
 
OPUS ONE 
PROPRIETARY RED
2017 NAPA VALLEY
 
Your Price: $360
 
“A fist of late summer cherries, raspberry and bilberry fruits set out their stall, all with the juicy character that confirms, even in a hot vintage like 2017, Opus can deliver balance and sculpted elegance. Beautiful grip, creamy texture with a strikingly powerful tannic frame. As the wine stays in the glass the floral aromatics begin to bloom up. A brilliant Opus. 20 days maceration – around half what it would have been a decade ago. 54% native yeast, as part of their native yeast project. 5% Merlot and 1% Malbec complete the blend. Harvest spread out over September 5 to October 8, just before the fires… Drinking Window 2023 – 2045”
96 Points
 
“A remarkable wine for the year, the 2017 Opus One is a dense, full-throttle beauty. Plush fruit and soft, silky contours give the 2017 its racy personality. Exotic, beautifully perfumed and impeccable in its balance, Opus One is one of the most complete wines of the vintage. In 2017, Opus One has a distinctly red-toned fruit profile that distinguishes it from the surrounding vintages.”
95+ Points
 
“… Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it slowly grows on the nose, revealing compelling notes of baked black cherries, mulberries, black raspberries, warm cassis and blackberry pie with nuances of spice cake, yeast extract, tapenade, licorice and dusty soil with a waft of wild sage. Medium-bodied, the palate has a lively skip in its step, featuring bags of juicy raspberry and cassis-laced fruit and a refreshing line, supported by ripe, plush tannins, finishing long and graceful. Drink 2021 – 2036”
95 Points
 
“Lots of currant and floral notes on the nose. Hints of mint and spice. Medium-to full-bodied, round and savory with creamy, juicy tannins. Hints of citrus underneath. Bright, fresh and delicious. Drink or hold.”
95 points
2017 Quintessa Proprietary Red Rutherford

2017 Quintessa Proprietary Red Rutherford

QUINTESSA

PROPRIETARY RED
2017 RUTHERFORD

2017 Quintessa Proprietary Red Rutherford
Winemaker Rebekah Wineburg describes the Quintessa 2017 as eloquent and “a clear expression of what has made our estate so unique.” The wine vividly expresses both the property and the vintage and is shaped by the soils, clones, and climate. It’s remarkably elegant, harmonious, and penetrating, and with double 95 point scores, don’t wait to acquire this great vintage.
 
Rebecca and her team brought this vintage forth from eleven biodynamically farmed vineyard blocks located on Rutherford’s Eastern edge, where each small plot is cultivated, harvested, and fermented individually so that the unique nuances of the land shine through. The 2017 release was eloquently shaped by Rebekah, who honed her skills at Rudd and Buccella before becoming the winemaker at Quintessa. 
 
Their 2017 release has profound elegance, and the vintage features more than 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, providing the power and structure for the wine. After 22 months in high-quality oak barrels, this wine is remarkably stunning right now.
 
QUINTESSA
PROPRIETARY RED
2017 RUTHERFORD
 
Your Price: $199.99
 
“… the 2017 Quintessa displays a deep garnet-purple color. The nose needs a little coaxing before it reveals bold, expressive notes of crushed red and black plums, black currant jelly, wild blueberries and kirsch with nuances of camphor, cloves, cedar and lilacs plus a hint of oolong tea. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has beautifully expressed, elegant red and black fruit layers, with a sturdy, grainy frame and plenty of freshness, finishing long and earthy. Drink 2020 – 2047 ” 95 Points
 
“Crushed berries, incense and blackberries with black-olive undertones. Extremely perfumed. Medium to full body. Very intense for a 2017. Crafted and polished. Long and caressing. Elegant. Drink or hold.”
95 Points
 
“The 2017 Quintessa is eloquent in its message. The wine is powerfully structured, with an elegance to its tannins, and new layers of complexity that reveal themselves as the wine opens in the glass and as it ages in bottle. The aroma begins with notes of black cherry and cassis, covered by dark chocolate. Notes of thyme and sage interplay with hints cinnamon, cedar and incense. The wine enters with lively acidity that balances gracefully alongside layers of red and black fruit to create a wine of elegance and finesse. Following with savory characters of tar and tobacco, this wine has structure and drive, and a long lingering finish of fine tannin.”
2017 Parallel Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2017 Parallel Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

PARALLEL

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2017 NAPA VALLEY

2017 Parallel Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
I’ll be honest, we’re always looking for top quality Cabernet, and sometimes the devil is in the details. For instance, Parallel’s 2017 Napa Cabernet includes more than 60% fruit from Andy Beckstoffer’s iconic Georges III Vineyard in Rutherford, one of the best in Napa Valley. It’s balanced with fruit from Renteria’s stunning Oakville Vineyard on Skellenger Lane, near Plumpjack and Turnbull’s Fortuna Vineyards. Then add that the wine is made by Philippe Melka, whose experience includes winemaking at Bryant Family, Quintessa, Hundred Acre, and Dominus, and at around $100, this is one of the best values in upper echelon Napa Cabernet. 
 
This wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, and Parallel’s 2017 is a stunning portrayal of the best qualities of the vintage. The fruit achieved optimal ripeness, and they harvested on 9/28 and 10/2, which is about a week before the wildfires. 
 
The 2017 vintage has an intensely captivating style that draws you in with a powerful bouquet of dark fruits, blue violets, dried herbs, and espresso. The Oakville fruit contributes the dark and supple berries, and intense black currants, while the Rutherford grapes offer the floral characteristics and signature dusty tannins. 
 
PARALLEL
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2017 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $110
 
 
 
“Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon displays notes of prunes, spice cake, plum pudding and blueberry preserves with touches of red currant jelly, dried herbs, tobacco and olives. Full-bodied, firm and chewy and with tons of fruit at the core, it finished long and spicy.”  92 Points
 
 
 
“Savory, herbal and thick in brawny concentration, this powerful wine is darkly layered in blackberry, black currant and wild raspberry. Clove, dried herb and a twist of sage figure into the midpalate, adding complexity and welcome intrigue as generous oak layers throughout.”  92 Points
2015 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve

2015 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve

BERINGER

2015 PRIVATE RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 

2015 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private ReserveAs much as I love tasting and discovering new, and as-of-yet undiscovered wine producers, there’s nothing like the feeling of historic significance, pride and antiquity that I get from tasting a wine that helped pave the way for Napa to become one of the greatest wine regions of the world. Beringer’s flagship Private Reserve Cabernet hasn’t skipped a beat either, and their 2015 ranked as the #24 Wine-Of-The-Year on James Sucklings Top 100 in 2018 with an outstanding 99 Point score. Here’s a chance to own it, and at a fantastic price… 

Beringer is one of Napa Valley’s most historically significant wineries. Period. After all, they’re California’s oldest continually operating winery, and they’re the only winery in history to have both a red and white wine honored as the #1 wine on the Wine Spectator Top 100. 
 
The 2015 Private Reserve was built on a core of 62% fruit from Bancroft and Steinhauer Ranches atop Howell Mountain, which provided enormous structure and richness. Made even better with fruit from the iron-rich Home and Chabot Vineyards in St. Helena and topped with fruit from Spring Mountain and Mount Veeder to round out the stunningly complex blend…
 
BERINGER
2015 PRIVATE RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Retails at: $170
 
Your Price: $135
 
 
“The spice and walnut aromas are so enticing. Undertones of blackberries and black truffles. Full-bodied, dense and layered with fantastic tension and seamless tannins. It goes on for minutes. All about classic structure and beauty.”  99 Points, Top 100 Wines of 2018
 
 
“…This full-bodied, ripe, voluptuous beauty shows the vintage to a T, offering a blast of sweet blackcurrants, licorice, ground herbs, and graphite aromas and flavors. Blockbuster styled, with full body and an expansive, sexy texture, it has the depth and density to continue drinking brilliantly for 20+ years.” 97 Points
 
“… the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve has a deep garnet-purple color and nose of plum preserves, baked blackberries and cassis with hints of menthol, sandalwood and chocolate box. Full-bodied with soft, seductive tannins and a lively backbone supporting the generous, ripe, opulent fruit, it has a decadent spiciness and great length.” 95+ Points
2018 Mica Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2018 Mica Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

MICA 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2018 NAPA VALLEY 

2018 Mica Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

 
When we can access it, Buccella is a pillar on our reserve list in the shop, and MICA is the second wine from Buccella. However, in 2018 the quality of fruit was so stupendous that referring to MICA as a second wine, doesn’t seem to fit… The 2018 vintage shows more like a first wine from a top Estate, with deep, penetrating fruit, sharply defined details, and stunning balance. At around 1/2 the price of Buccella, this wine mimics a much pricier wine.   
 
Buccella and Mica are made by Landon Donley, who gained experience interning for Australian powerhouse Mollydooker before joining Spottswoode Estate as the assistant winemaker. At Spottswoode, he learned to craft wines worthy of 100 Point scores, and everything he absorbed there is transparent in a glass of 2018 Mica. 
 
The 2018 Mica stitches together fruit from Oakville, Yountville, St Helena, and Coombsville in a way that embellishes the best qualities from each iconic AVA, without losing sight of balance. The wine checks in at 90% Cabernet, balanced with Merlot and Malbec, and with just over 500 cases produced, I wouldn’t hesitate to secure yours…
 
MICA 
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
2018 NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $120
 
Your Price: $115
Click to Order
 
 
 
 
“The 2018 Mica Cabernet Sauvignon from Buccella is a masterpiece. It begins with a deep nose of blueberry cobbler, English rose petals, sweet vanilla and iron. The palate explodes with a mixed basket of fresh red, black and blue berries, beautifully balanced by toasty oak. The finish is long, concentrated, penetrating and makes your mouth water, leaving it begging for the next sip. Drink now to 2032.” 95 Points