2018 Grand Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley

2018 Grand Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley

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

GRAND NAPA 

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
RESERVE NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 Grand Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley
Our top-selling Cabernet Sauvignon this year, Grand Napa Vineyards in Rutherford, produces rich, full-bodied wines with depth and character from premium vineyards in Napa Valley. Grand Napa owner/winemaker Dwight Bonewell hand-selects the vineyards he works with, and his involvement 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 Sauvignon arose from prime sites in Rutherford, St. Helena, and Coombsville, compellingly representing the vintage and distinct origins. This bottling spent 22 months in 50% new French oak and 50% two-year-old oak, giving a graceful balance between the depth of fruit, spice components from the oak, plush tannins, and impressive 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 Hendry Cabernet Sauvignon Hendry Vineyard Napa Valley

2018 Hendry Cabernet Sauvignon Hendry Vineyard Napa Valley

with No Comment $60-$70Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

HENDRY

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
HENDRY VINEYARD
NAPA VALLEY 2018

2018 Hendry Cabernet Sauvignon Hendry Vineyard Napa Valley
The Hendry family has been growing grapes in Napa Valley since 1939, compiling over 80 years of viticultural experience; they are one of the area’s most long-standing, prominent families. The 203-acre ranch in the Southern part of Napa has a significant coastal influence from San Pablo Bay that helps to maintain acidity and keeps the fruit fresh and bright.
 
Hendry’s Cabernet Sauvignon plots are at an elevation range between 150 and 300 feet above sea level on thin, stony soils similar to the Left Bank of Bordeaux, where some of the world’s most famous Cabernet blends were born. The 2018 release comes from a fabulous vintage and a glorious location from one of Napa’s foundational wineries with decades of experience. With a 95pt score and Cellar Selection designation from Wine Enthusiast, Cabernet Collectors shouldn’t miss it.
 
HENDRY
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
HENDRY VINEYARD
NAPA VALLEY 2018
Retails at: $70
 
 
 
“This deeply colored, extremely ripe and concentrated wine from a cooler part of Napa Valley is powerful but smooth, as a creamy texture carries blueberries, cocoa and anise flavors wrapped in significant fine-grained tannins. The flavors show great depth on the palate and good length on the finish. best from 2026–2036.”
95 Points, “Cellar Selection”
2015 Casa Piena Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2015 Casa Piena Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSAYountville

CASA PIENA

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2015

2015 Casa Piena Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Located in Yountville, Casa Piena Winery focuses on responsible, sustainable farming techniques that respect the environment and Napa Valley’s natural beauty. The winery’s estate vineyard, the Policy Vineyard, is managed by viticultural icon Jim Barbour, who’s worked with many well-respected, premium vineyards and been a part of some of Napa’s most highly-rated wines.
 
Casa Piena’s founding winemaker, Thomas Rivers Brown, uses a minimalistic approach to craft this profound representation of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Napa Valley’s 2015 harvest produced a small crop of concentrated berries, leading to powerful, intensely flavorful, and complex Cabernet Sauvignon that is entering a seductive period in its aging and is guaranteed to indulge the senses for years to come.
 
CASA PIENA
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2015
Retails at: $175
 
 
 
“The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon is gorgeous. Lifted, floral and beautifully perfumed, the 2015 has come together nicely since I last tasted it. The 2015 has so much to offer. Specifically, it is remarkably nuanced for such an overly ripe, racy wine. A rush of sweet red berry, kirsch, mint and rose petal graces the expressive, inviting finish. This is a terrific showing from proprietor Carmen Policy and winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown.”
94 Points
2018 Maroon Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve Coombsville

2018 Maroon Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve Coombsville

with No Comment $60-$70Cabernet SauvignonCoombsvilleKevin VogtNapaUSA

MAROON

SPECIAL RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
COOMBSVILLE 2018

2018 Maroon Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve Coombsville
Paul Maroon recognized the potential for Bordeaux varietals to thrive in Coombsville and purchased 37 acres there over two decades ago. He sold fruit to several of Napa Valley’s top wineries until 2009 when he decided to produce the first vintage of Maroon. Coombsville became an AVA in 2011 and quickly established a reputation for delivering sophisticated wines with elegant structure due to the cooler climate in the southern end of Napa Valley.
 
Chris Corley has been the winemaker since Maroon’s inaugural vintage and has worked with Paul for over 20 years, creating a symbiotic relationship built around their passion for the vineyards, the beautiful wines, and a solid commitment to quality. We recommended this wine last November, and it recently earned an incredible 96 Point Score from Lisa Perrotti-Brown, co-founder of The Wine Independent. Lisa is a Master of Wine and former Editor-in-Chief for Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate. At our price of $65/btl, you can be the judge of how great of a deal this wine is. 
 
MAROON
SPECIAL RESERVE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
COOMBSVILLE 2018
Retails at: $174
 
 
 
“Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve gallops in with energetic notes of blackcurrant jelly, chocolate-covered cherries, and boysenberry preserves, plus suggestions of chocolate mint and candied violets. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers a structured style with great tension and firm, grainy tannins to support the bright, muscular fruit, finishing long and vibrant.” Reviewed March, 2023
96 Points
2018 Erickson & Caradin Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena

2018 Erickson & Caradin Cabernet Sauvignon Craftsmen & Wolves St Helena

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaSt HelenaSt. HelenaUSA

ERICKSON & CARADIN 

CRAFTSMEN & WOLVES
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
ST HELENA 2018

2018 Erickson & Caradin Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena
Erikson & Caradin proprietors are keenly aware that soil, elevation, and climate play crucial roles in fine wine production; however, expertise and ambition can take wine to the next level. Erikson & Caradin began in 2013, selling their small production to friends and restaurants, and continue to remain craft-focused, with only around fifty barrels produced across eight different designations.
 
Their specialty is producing terroir-driven wines, which aligns with winemaker Kevin Morrisey’s skillset after interning at Chateau Petrus in Bordeaux before Stags’ Leap Winery, Etude, and Ehlers Estate. Their 2018 Craftsman & Wolves Cabernet emerged from two rows of VSP (Vertical Shoot Position) trained clone 337 Cabernet Sauvignon vines. The Vineyard sits above alluvial soils created by ancient river beds providing rich, powerful fruit with profoundly complex minerality.
 
ERICKSON & CARADIN 
CRAFTSMEN & WOLVES
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
ST HELENA 2018
Retails at: $140
 
 
 
“Aromas of blueberries, dark cherries, cassis, lavender and oak spices. Full body with plush, velvety tannins. Rich and creamy with an intense, bold core of ripe black fruit on the mid-palate and a dense finish. Big, yet polished and balanced. Drink after 2023.” (Reviewed 1/3/22)
93 Points
2019 Meyer Family Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fluffy Billows Oakville

2019 Meyer Family Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fluffy Billows Oakville

with No Comment $40-$50Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaOakvilleUSA

MEYER FAMILY CELLARS

FLUFFY BILLOWS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
OAKVILLE 2019

2019 Meyer Family Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fluffy Billows Oakville
Matt and Karen Meyer combine their impressive educational knowledge and practical hands-on experience to expertly craft each Meyer Family Cellars wine. Matt spent many hours shadowing his father, Justin Meyer, in the vineyards and cellar at Silver Oak, interning in Oregon, Australia, and New Zealand, eventually gaining a Master’s in Viticulture from UC Davis. Karen completed her Enology degree from Charles Sturt University in Australia and worked harvests worldwide, finally landing her in Willamette Valley, where she and Matt met.
 
The Oakville AVA is home to some of Napa Valley’s most exclusive and premium vineyards, and the Meyer family has farmed and produced Cabernet from Oakville since the mid-1970s. The 2019 growing season saw extended hang times aiding depth and layers of flavors harnessed by Matt and Karen’s meticulous winemaking methods. The Fluffy Billows Cabernet Sauvignon brings impressive power, depth, and richness uncommon in this price range.
 
MEYER FAMILY CELLARS
FLUFFY BILLOWS
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
OAKVILLE 2019
Retails at: $60
 
 
 
“The Meyer Family Cellars Fluffy Billows Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 begins with a nose of bright cherry, green herbs, wet clay, and vanilla spice. The palate continues with a complex liquid-mineral quality, beautifully balancing focused red and black fruits and mouth-quenching acidity that carries the concentrated flavors to a long, satisfying, lingering finish. This wine is a real standout Cabernet Sauvignon at this price point.” 
94 Points
2017 Heitz Cellar Cabenret Sauvignon Lot C-91 Napa Valley

2017 Heitz Cellar Cabenret Sauvignon Lot C-91 Napa Valley

with No Comment $90-$100Cabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

HEITZ CELLAR

NAPA VALLEY LOT C-91
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2017

2017 Heitz Cellar Cabenret Sauvignon Lot C-91 Napa Valley
Joe Heitz introduced Napa Valley’s first vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignon from Martha’s Vineyard in the late 1950s, founded Heitz Cellar in 1961, and eight years later, he discovered he could create a wine with the qualities he desired most through site selection and assemblage. Since the inaugural vintage in 1969, Heitz Cellar has sourced fruit for Lot C-91 from premium parcels in St. Helena, Oakville, Rutherford, and Howell Mountain to create a complex, age-worthy wine with focus, depth, and length.
 
This historical cuvée has been released as an homage to Joe Heitz since his passing in 2000 and continues to incorporate his ideation of a complete, wholesome Napa Valley Cabernet. The 2017 Lot C-91 exudes elegance and power from superior site selection and expert blending, purposefully designed to guide the wine into a style that’s both stunning upon release and will stand the test of time.  
 
HEITZ CELLAR
NAPA VALLEY LOT C-91
CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2017
 
 
 
“Wow. Such a racy and exciting nose! This is quite agile and nimble, full of red and blue berries in the forefront, then complemented by spiced orange, earl grey, red plums, potpourri, savory plums and chocolate. Tense and elegant on the palate, which is all about succulent red berries, nuance and texture. Nothing redundant here. A great Napa cabernet sauvignon that has real definition. A beauty by all accounts!”
96 Points
2018 Eco Terreno Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

2018 Eco Terreno Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

with No Comment $30 and underAlexander ValleyCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtSonomaUSA

ECO TERRENO

CABERNET SAUVIGNON  
ALEXANDER VALLEY 2018

2018 Eco Terreno Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
Eco Terreno combines Mark Lyon’s relentless drive for sustainability with his remarkable winemaking skills and vast experience gained after spending nearly four decades as lead winemaker at Sebastiani Vineyards. Mark knows that delicious wines begin with healthy vines, and his biodynamically farmed vineyards provide him with the ingredients to craft exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon.
 
We discovered this wine last Fall around the time we started asking if there were any more exceptional domestic Cabernets under $30. When it hit our glass, the wine decisively revealed beautifully concentrated, pure, and complex Alexander Valley fruit, perfectly polished and balanced. We selected it as one of the top-ten value wines under $40 last year, and the wine continues to put a smile on my face every time I try it. 
 
ECO TERRENO
CABERNET SAUVIGNON  
ALEXANDER VALLEY 2018
Retails at: $32
 
 
 
“The 2018 Eco Terreno Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley opens with wild strawberries, black plum, gingerbread, and coffee grounds. The baking spice notes in the wine beautifully combine with the fruit aspects to create an ideal balance with flavors of supple fruits, nutmeg, and dried herbs. The bright acidity gives the wine an exciting brevity that carries into a long pleasant finish and leaves a smile on your face.”
96 Points
2019 Heir Apparent Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2019 Heir Apparent Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

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

HEIR APPARENT

RESERVE 2019
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY

2019 Heir Apparent Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Grand Napa Winery in Rutherford produces Heir Apparent wines, and winemaker Dwight Bonewell’s expert blending skills and access to exceptional vineyards paired beautifully with another outstanding vintage. Dwight crafts his Reserve Cabernet from a rigorous selection of high-quality sites in Rutherford, St Helena, and Calistoga, resulting in a multi-faceted wine embodying Napa Valley’s distinctive personality.
 
The 2019 growing season saw few challenges and a mild autumn, giving the grapes a long hang-time resulting in exceptional flavor development while retaining acidity. This particular vintage is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Cabernet Franc added to accent the mid-palate and maintain balance, just like many of the great wines of Bordeaux.
 
HEIR APPARENT
RESERVE 2019
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY
Retails at: $125
 
 
 
“Aromas of raspberries, sour cherries, kirsch, lemon zest and sweet spices. It’s full-bodied with sleek tannins framing a juicy, sweetly fruited core. Drink or hold.”
91 Points
2019 Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2019 Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

with No Comment $100 and overCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtNapaUSA

BUCCELLA

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2019

2019 Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Buccella is Latin for ‘mouthful’ and accurately depicts the winery’s bold style of Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from small, diverse, premium quality vineyards in Napa Valley. Meticulous farming, elite clonal selection, and minuscule yields are critical factors in maintaining this quality level. The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon provides layers of complexity, depth, and balance between concentrated flavors and structure, promising several years of enjoyability.
 
Buccella winemaker Landon Donley 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 gleaned there translates into each spectacular glass of Bucella.
 
BUCCELLA
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
NAPA VALLEY 2019
 
 
 
“The inky-hued 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is surprisingly structured and powerful, with a big nose of cassis, chocolaty oak, scorched earth, and graphite. Where many 2019s are plush and opulent, this has a solid core of tannins that keeps it focused and elegant, with wonderful purity of fruit. I like it. It certainly offers pleasure today, yet smart money will give these 4-5 years in the cellar, and I suspect it will see its 20th birthday in fine form.”
95+ Points