Region: Napa Valley, California

Vintage: 2018

Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

History: The Stags Leap District’s Regusci Vineyard occupies one of Napa Valley’s most historic properties, land that growers have coveted for nearly a century. Leaning against the eastern hillside, it is dotted with rocky outcroppings that absorb heat during the day and release it at night, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly as they gain complexity. We walked the rows, tasted the soils, tasted the fruit and, of those 238 luscious acres, chose 1.5 of the best. Well-drained volcanic soils define the parcel, stressing the vines to produce densely concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon. Benchmark, flagship, exemplary: whatever you want to call it, this is a truly powerful and opulent bottle.

Tasty Notes:

This wine has a bold, full and complete Napa Cabernet Sauvignon hillside character. Expansive, enveloping aromas suggest sage smoke, macerated currants, cocoa powder, nutmeg and star anise. The trajectory of this wine is elegant with notes of blackberry reduction, tobacco leaf, aged leather and blackberry lining the mouth.