A Renewed Excitement for Napa Valley Cabernet
In July of 2022 I moved with my family to Napa Valley. Despite the Bay Bridge commute testing me at times, the move has been incredible for getting to know the U.S.’s most iconic wine region much more intimately. Observing from afar, it’s easy to lump all of Napa Valley together as an adult “Disneyland” of homogenous, over-priced, over-hyped wines with little sense of place. However, when you get to spend lots of time here—the more you explore, the more back roads you turn down, the more vineyards you walk—it becomes increasingly clear that despite the commercial success and sometimes inflated price points, Napa Valley is undeniably a phenomenal, distinctive, and radically diverse place to grow grapes.
The topography and underlying geology of the region is so complex. In the simplest sense, Napa Valley is a tampering, north-south running valley with the Mayacamas Range flanking the western edge and the Vaca Mountains towering to the east. The southern Mayacamas range is largely made up of ancient uplifted ocean floor. Further north volcanic soils become more common. The Mayacamas mountains are densely forested and typically receive a significant amount of rainfall during winter. The Vaca range is largely volcanic in origin, ranging from huge basalt boulders to deep red loam soils, compressed white volcanic ash, and eroded colluvial gravels. The Vaca ranges are much more arid and sparsely vegetated than the Mayacamas, meaning soils with very low organic matter.
The orientation of the valley running down from Mount St. Helena in the north to San Pablo Bay in the south means that a huge temperature gradient sets up in the valley during the growing season. Los Carneros, Coombsville, and Oak Knoll in the south of the valley see consistent ingress of fog and cold air from the bay during overnight and morning hours that moderates temperatures throughout the growing season. From Yountville heading north up to St. Helena and Calistoga the cooling effect from the bay becomes less and less impactful meaning much higher daytime temperatures. The temperature range from Coombsville/Carneros to St. Helena/Calistoga is dramatic given the relatively small distance in miles, often exceeding 30F on a given day.
Another factor that has a large impact on grape growing in the valley is whether a vineyard is on the western or eastern bench. The western bench of the valley, tucked up against the lower slopes of the Mayacamas mountains, experiences significant shadowing in the late afternoons, often when temperatures are at their peak. The eastern benchland and Vaca ranges are typically exposed to the full effect of the afternoon sun producing those lush, ripe, powerful wines the area is known for.
When you add in all the various alluvial deposits from the Napa River that snakes its way through the region, from Châteauneuf-du-Pape–like cobblestones to fine silty sands and even clay loams, things start to get even more diverse. Some of the most famed sites in all of Napa sit on alluvial fans of eroded gravels that are deposited into the valley from the mountains on either side. The famed To Kalon Vineyard is one such formation on the west Oakville bench. Various creeks (Conn Creek, Simmons Creek, Sulphur Creek, York Creek, Milliken Creek, Tulucay Creek, etc.) descend from the mountains and carve out thousands of distinct micro-terroirs within the greater region.
Many grapes grow and thrive across Napa Valley, but Cabernet Sauvignon is king. Despite a long history with all kinds of grapes (Hamburg, Sémillon Noir, Grenache Blanc, Petite Sirah, Sauvignon Vert, Chenin Blanc, Flame Tokay, Furmint, Missouri Riesling, Chasselas Rosé, Zinfandel, Alicante Bouchet, and others) in the 1930s and 1940s the region’s affinity for producing great Cabernet Sauvignon was cemented by icons such as Martin Stelling, Andre Tchelistcheff, Louis Martini, and Caesar Mondavi. Today the region is well and truly dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon with it accounting for 60% of the total acreage (a percentage that shoots even higher with the large, Chardonnay-dominated, region of Carneros taken away. And so despite the fact that it’s no longer an inexpensive endeavor, exploring the different sub-regions and distinctive locales that exist around Napa Valley through the lens of Cabernet Sauvignon is thoroughly fascinating. Here’s a whistle-stop tour of some wines that I think represent the wondrous variety that is Napa Valley.
Farella Estate in Coombsville.
2018 Farella "Estate" Coombsville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Previously $70) $59.95 94DC 94JS Arguably the coolest Cabernet producing sub-region, Coombsville is windy, cold, and foggy. Farella is one of the founding estates in this area once considered too marginal to ripen Bordeaux varietals. Blackcurrant, graphite, cedar, and cigar box.
2020 Localism Wines Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon $74.95 A tiny one-acre vineyard in the heart of Coombsville. A boutique, passion project from talented winemaker Ryan Knoth whose day job is Director of Winemaking at the iconic Joseph Phelps Winery. Fantastic Coombsville Cab for a song!
2021 Faust Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $49.95 95JS Despite being labeled Napa Valley, the vast majority of this rocking wine comes from Faust’s stunning estate in Coombsville. Meticulous CCOF organic-certified farming and a top-notch winemaking team make this an absolute steal for under $50!
2019 Hendry "Estate" Napa Valley Proprietary Red (Elsewhere $48) $39.95 95WE One of my true favorite properties in Napa is Hendry Estate. This fourth-generation family-owned-and-operated ranch sits at the confluence of Carneros, Oak Knoll, and Mt. Veeder AVAs. The 50-year-old Cabernet vines here thrive in extremely rocky soil tumbled down from the Mayacamas. Fruit from this estate was sourced in the late 1970s and 1980s for Robert Mandavi and Opus One. Power and elegance combined.
2020 Trefethen Oak Knoll District Cabernet Sauvignon $59.99 93WE 92DC Trefethen is a stalwart grower-producer in Oak Knoll. They have extensive holdings and are pretty much synonymous with the sub-AVA. The cooler temperatures of the region combine with Trefethen’s somewhat old-school style to produce classically styled Cab that is more medium bodied, elegant, food friendly, and refined.
2021 Grounded Wine Co. "Steady State" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $59.95 94DC Again this wine is labeled under the broader Napa Valley AVA but comes from a single vineyard in Oak Knoll. The vineyard is also farmed by legendary viticulturist Jim Barbour who is renowned for growing some of the very best and most expensive fruit in the valley. Grounded Wine Co. winemaker/proprietor Josh Phelps leans on his local connections and know-how to get this beauty in the bottle for a super reasonable price given the quality.
Mayacamas on Mt. Veeder.
2019 Mayacamas Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon $184.95 97VN 96WS I think Mt. Veeder makes some of the most distinctive and compelling Cabernet in the region. None more so than Mayacamas’ historic expression of varietal and place. Unadorned by modern winemaking techniques and new oak, this wine is about as pure as it gets when seeking an authentic, minimalist, faithful rendition of Mt. Veeder. Undeniably world-class Cabernet.
2019 Mt. Brave Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon $124.95 97DC 96VN 96JS Coming from further north in the sub AVA than Mayacamas, Mt. Brave gives us a more muscular, rich, dense, powerful wine you can really get your teeth into. Crafted by Chris Carpenter (Lokoya, Cardinale, La Jota, etc.) who is one of the more talented sculptors of mountain-grown Cabernet you’re ever likely to find.
2018 Planetary Estate "Polaris" Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon (Previously $68) $29.95 In an AVA that is known for exclusive, expensive, refined, age worthy wines… it’s very rare to find a Cab under $50. The winery-direct deal we got on this beautiful Cab from Polaris Vineyard is simply incredible. The vineyard, planted entirely to clone 337, sits right next to the following wine from Nickel & Nickel.
2021 Nickel & Nickel "State Ranch" Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon $99.95 97JS Nickel & Nickel have made it their mission to show off the sub-regionality of single vineyard Napa Cabs. Indeed I could have written this entire article simply using consistently excellent and distinct wines from them alone! With some of the very best vineyards dotted across the valley, these wines never disappoint and are a relative bargain in this day and age.
Sleeping Lady Vineyard.
2019 Ad Vivum "Sleeping Lady Vineyard" Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon $199.95 98DC 97WA 97JD At last year’s Premier Napa Valley, after tasting several hundred Napa Cabs including Harlan, Bond, Hundred Acre, Opus, Realm, Dominus (the list goes on), Chris Phelps’ Ad Vivum from Sleeping Lady Vineyard was in my top three. As the founding winemaker at Dominus, Chris knows the west Yountville bench as well as anyone. Sleeping Lady Vineyard (just south of Dominus), owned/farmed by the Betinelli family, is quickly becoming recognized as one of the best pieces of land in the entire valley.
2021 Clos du Val Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $49.95 94WE OK so I'm cheating a little here as this wine combines Clos du Val’s River Bend Vineyard in Yountville with fruit from their Hirondelle Vineyard in Stags Leap just across the Napa River. Clos du Val’s new(ish) winemaker Carmel Greenberg also made the short journey across the valley after working as Assistant Winemaker at Dominus for seven years. Before that she honed her skills at Cakebread and Bucella. 2021 was Carmel’s first vine-to-bottle vintage here at Clos du Val, and the quality is truly exceptional for the price.
Shafer.
2021 Shafer "One Point Five" Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon $119.95 96JD 96WE Shafer is one of the icons of the Stags Leap District. The legendary Hillside Select bottling can stand toe-to-toe with the best of the best. But if you’re not about to drop $375 on a bottle… the 2021 One Point Five from Shafer offers a lot of the same experience for a more modest price point. The core of this wine comes from a couple of parcels lower on bench and alongside Silverado Trail. Stags Leap’s eastern bench orientation means lots of powerful afternoon sun exposure. However, the AVA’s location in the southern portion of the valley means a significant amount of bay cooling with large diurnal swings in temperature.
2019 Cliff Lede Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon $79.95 95WE 93JD Cliff Lede has exceptional holdings in Stags Leap centered around their Poetry Vineyard in the lower slopes of the Vaca Mountains. This bottling is a go-to for me that really highlights the exotic, aromatic, fruit-forward style of Cabernet this area produces. A pop-n-pour Cab that over-delivers.
2019 Paradigm Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon $99.95 Paradigm sits in the sweet spot of the west Oakville bench. Neighbors include Harlan, Vine Hill Ranch, and Far Niente. Paradigm’s wines are made by winemaking legend Heidi Barret. Despite this prime terroir and winemaking pedigree the wine remains a relative bargain versus the neighbors in all directions! Very classy stuff.
2013 - 2014 - 2015 Robert Mondavi "Reserve - To Kalon Vineyard" Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon Library Release Vertical 6-Pack in OWC $1200 per 6pk 96WA 96VN 96JS Writing about Oakville and not having a wine from the iconic To Kalon Vineyard just wouldn't be right. This historic, storied property is considered by many as the best dirt in the new world to grow Cabernet. Sitting on a broad alluvial fan of deep gravel between HWY 29 and the Mayacamas, this is the epicenter of Napa Cabernet. We just got our hands on a few of these direct from the winery Library Release 6pk OWCs with two bottles each of the 2013, 2014, and 2015 vintages of Robert Mondavi’s legendary To Kalon Reserve.
2021 Turnbull "Reserve" Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon $99.95 96JD 95IWR Turnbull’s Oakville Reserve comes from two incredible vineyards in east Oakville. Fortuna Vineyard on the valley floor, adjacent to Rudd Estate, sits on a very rocky alluvial fan of red volcanic gravel. Leopoldina sits directly above in the hills. Much of the vineyard is extremely steep with vines planted around car-sized boulders.. it's one of the most radical and spectacular vineyards I've had the pleasure of walking.
View from Buselli.
2016 Buselli Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon (Elsewhere $150+) $99.95 Buselli is the definition of a hidden gem. This incredible family-owned estate was purchased by Italian immigrants back in the 1980s. This steep hillside vineyard with 40-year old vines, is surrounded by some of the most famous properties in Napa: Dalla Valle, Ramey Pedregal, Peter Michael Au Paradis, and Tierra Roja. The wine is made in miniscule quantities by renowned winemaker Tim Milos (Immortal Estate, Cliff Lede, Stewart). Beautiful wine with excellent aging potential.
2021 Chappellet "Signature" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $89.95 95IWR 93-95JD 94JS If you were to continue heading uphill from Buselli and Turnbull’s Leoplodina in the east Oakville hills you would eventually find yourself in the exalted Pritchard Hill neighborhood. Whilst not an official AVA, this small sub-region is widely considered the “Rodeo Drive” of Napa Valley. Colgin, Bryant, Realm-Houyi, Ovid, Continuum, Brand and more all call this home. Chappellet is also one of the founding estates of this region and has an incredible patchwork for vineyards draped over these rugged, exceptionally rock slopes. Whilst Chappellet’s Flagship wine sells for $300+, the Signature Cabernet Sauvignon bottling from them is largely from their own Pritchard Hill holdings and less than one third the price. It’s a bold, decadent, darkly fruited wine underpinned with crushed rock mineral and smoldering oak spices.
West Rutherford Bench.
2019 Beaulieu Vineyard "Reserve" Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon $64.95 95JS 94DC 94WE
2019 Beaulieu Vineyard "Georges de Latour - Private Reserve" Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon $149.95 100JS 99JD 97VN 97DC 97WE Back on the western side of the valley now, just a few hundred years up the road from To Kalon in Oakville you cross the border into Rutherford and the home of Beaulieu Vineyards’ historic ranches on the west Rutherford bench. George de Lator established many vineyards still considered as the finest vineyard sites in Napa. In 1938 André Tchelistcheff joined BV and to this day remains the most influential figure in the formation of the Napa as we know it today. Tchelistcheff is also credited with coining the phrase “Rutherford dust” and believed this region grew the finest Cab in the valley. Over 100 years later these bottlings come largely from the same ranches established by Georges De Latour in 1903 and 1910.
2018 Inglenook Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon $79.95 95JS 94VN 95DC 94WE One of the most incredible and historic properties in Napa Valley once again sits on the west Rutherford bench. For several decades in the 1930s–1960s this property produced some of the most celebrated Napa Cabs around. After a brief but damaging spell of corporate ownership and neglect, more recently under the diligent stewardship of the Coppola family, the estate has been restored to its former physical boundaries and has a renewed focus on quality over quantity. The wines are once again worthy of this property’s long historical legacy.
2018 Freemark Abbey "Bosche Vineyard" Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon $169.95 98WE 95WA 95JS The Bosche Vineyard is a Grand Cru site by any measure. Planted in the 1960s on the west Rutherford bench, this site was one of the first ever to be bottled as a single vineyard designate with the 1971 release. The vineyard has now been a monopole for Freemark Abbey for 50 years. The wines have an incredible ability to age and often outshine the competition in library tastings.
2020 Corison Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $124.95 96DC 95JG 95WE 94TWI Another transition wine as we move north along the western bench from Rutherford into St. Helena. If Cabernet is king in Napa valley, then Cathy Corison is most definitely queen. With an unbelievable legacy of making classically styled Cabs for marquee properties across Napa for many decades, Cathy’s wines are nothing short of peerless. She owns this style of Cabernet, crafting elegant, structured, ageworthy Cabs from vineyards in what are typically considered quite warm sites. Cathy focuses on the specific Bale Loam soils series for her wines and believes heat doesn’t mean over the top, jammy wines if you get the farming and picking decisions right. And…the proof is in the pudding. Cathy’s 2020 is phenomenal despite the well documented challenges of the vintage.
2019 Anthem "Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard" St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon $149.95 95WE 95IWR 94JD 95WA On the western edge of St. Helena lies Andy Beckstoffer’s Las Piedras Vineyard. This site was the first vineyard planted in St. Helena to Mission grapes in 1840. The vineyard is defined by, and named for the “little pebbles” that make up its soil. These pure gravels were deposited by Sulphur Creek as it flowed down off Spring Mountain to the west. Anthem’s wines are made by the extremely talented Jeff Ames. With more than twenty 100-point wines to his name for properties such as Schrader, Maybach, Outpost, Boich, and TOR, Jeff is one of the most sought after names in the valley. This wine combines beautiful ripe, pure fruit with fine grained tannins and wonderful polish.
2020 Spottswoode "Estate" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $259.95 98-100DC 98-100WA Perhaps the crown jewel of the St. Helena appellation, Spottswoode is at the top of many people’s lists for collectible, ageworthy Napa Cab. The wine isn’t flashy, over-the-top, hugely tannic, or extracted. What it does have is incredible balance, poise, and refinement. Farmed with organic and biodynamic methods, this small vineyard tucked into a residential neighborhood in the town of St Helena is a perennial champion for those seeking a classic, elegant expression of Napa Cabernet.
2019 Crowley Vineyard "Estate" Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon (Elsewhere $110) $79.95 95WE As the crow flies Crowley is just a few miles from downtown St. Helena. However, the drive will take you on a switchback ride up 2000ft of Spring Mountain through (sadly somewhat charred) forests to this postage stamp vineyard high on the ridge. Essentially farmed by hand for decades by Joan Crowley, this site produces a pure, authentic expression of Spring Mountain Cab. Afternoon shading from the mountain, and cooling breezes pushing over the ridge, preserve plenty of savory, tobacco, cedar, and mint-like aromas and flavors in the wines. Biodynamically farmed for 20+ years. A fine value in boutique, mountain-grown Cab.
2019 Keenan "Mernet" Spring Mountain District Proprietary Red $109.95 96JS 95VN One of my favorite properties on Spring Mountain is Keenan. For years this family has defined the style and flavor profile of the AVA with their powerful, structured wines from a diverse and parcellated estate that follows the undulating hillsides of the mountain. Confessio:, this wine is actually equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot…but Keenan produces some of the very best Merlot in Napa and it works very well with the firmer, tannic Cabernet from these poor, rocky soils. For bone-in ribeye.
2019 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon $199.00 98VN 98JD 98IWR WS 96 #6 Wine of the Year 2023 Facing one another across the upper Napa Valley, Spring Mountain and Howell Mountain often vie for the most iconic mountain terroirs in the region. The slightly warmer, drier Howell Mountain has intense volcanic soils and adds manzanita and other dry-land chaparral flora to the biosphere. Dunn is absolutely synonymous with Howell Mountain Cab, and for good reason. This multi-generational family winery has produced some of the most legendary and long-lived wines in the history of Napa Valley. It used to be that Dunn’s wines were largely inaccessible for 10+ years after release, however, in recent times a more generous core of fruit and subtle polishing of those ever-present tannins has made for more approachable, and, in my opinion, better wines. Now, this wine will still likely age 30+ years…but if you don’t have that much patience it’s tasting phenomenal from the get go!
2019 Robert Craig "Estate" Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon $99.95 97VN 96DC Another incredible property on the west-facing ridge of Howell Mountain, at 2100 - 2400ft is Robert Craig. This wine combines two block on the estate, one with classic fractured basalt and iron-rich red loam with a site they call “The Stick” with crumbly white volcanic ash. Similarly to Dunn, I love how the raw power and structure that Howell Mountain has in spades is beautifully harnessed into a wine that has remarkable purity and refinement.
2021 Thread Feathers Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon $39.95 (Elsewhere $80) Inexpensive Howell Mountain Cab is basically an oxymoron. The cost of land, farming and tiny yields means most wines from Howell are $100+. However, Neil Koch of Thread Feathers uses his 15+ years of connections to find small parcels of wine from exceptional vineyards and bottles them in often one-off bottlings. I really enjoyed his 2021 from an unnamed source on the mountain. The wine has real Howell character at a very reasonable price point. Top Value.
Calistoga vines with Mt. St Helena in the background.
2019 Chateau Montelena "Estate" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $184.95 99DC 96WA 96VN Montelena is an icon. However, beyond the Judgement of Paris and Bottle Shock movie, the wine absolutely stands up to the hype and is the defining expression of the AVA. Driving past the entrance to the property, on a wooded knoll on Tubbs Lane, you would never know the complexity of the estate behind that extends up its own small valley with a mixture of hillside blocks and valley floor plantings. The estate encompasses alluvial soils, sedimentary soils and volcanic rhyolite. Each block is farmed individually and vinified independently. Winemaker Matt Crafton then masterfully blends these components together into a seamless expression of this truly unique place.