Holiday Gifting Guide 2023: The Best Napa Valley Cabs
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This category needs no introduction. You and all your friends are familiar, even your enemies. You have 5 restaurants on your hit list that you want to dine in next trip, and likely a few tasting rooms. So think outside the box a bit and check out some new blood. There's no shortage of amazing wines produced from Cabernet Sauvignon in the Napa Valley, and I've been jumping on the sword tasting each and every one of them to make sure you get the best of the best. Here are my picks for the best Napa Cabs to give as gifts in 2023:
Courtesy of Paul Hobbs Winery
Inspired by his upbringing on a family farm, pioneering winemaker Paul Hobbs established his namesake winery in 1991 after working with some of the world’s greatest vintners. From establishing his Katherine Lindsay Estate in 1998 to commissioning renowned architect Howard Backen, Paul has always been relentless in his pursuit of excellence. Today, Paul Hobbs Winery embodies his belief that meticulous care in the vineyard and minimal intervention in the cellar yield world-class, site-specific wines.
Exhibiting a deep garnet hue, our 2020 captivates with a lush bouquet of crushed blackberry, wild sage, fresh cigar box, and a delicate tobacco leaf note. The palate is remarkably balanced with elegant, supple tannins and fresh acidity that wraps around red currant, dark chocolate, and boysenberry alongside subtle notes of dried herbs and vanilla. The seamlessly layered mid-palate provides tension through the long, complex finish.
Bottle Date: June 2022
Appellation: Coombsville, Napa Valley
Harvested: September 24 - October 1
Varietal Compositon: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 14.7%
Cooperage: Aged 20 months in French oak barrels; 71% new
Courtesy of Memento Mori
The name, Memento Mori, is taken from an ancient Latin philosophy that reminds us of our mortality and the inevitability of death. Inspired by the serious health scares, family tragedy and times of trial they have experienced together throughout their friendship, Memento Mori is a shared mantra which the founders interpret as “Remember to Live.”
That ethos is palpable in every bottle.
Winemaker Sam Kaplan translates each vineyard site into balanced, terroir-driven wines that tell the story of Napa Valley. This winemaking philosophy culminates in Memento Mori’s flagship Napa Valley Cabernet.
A dynamic blend that marries fruit from all the vineyards that we work with, this Cabernet reinforces that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts while spotlighting a truly wonderful vintage. Dark red raspberries, mulberries, spiced mocha, pencil shavings, incense, and vanilla bean lead into a plush and sensual mid-palate full of red plums, crushed stones, kirsch, freshly cut lilacs, clove, and toasted marshmallow. Aged in 100% new French oak for 22 months, finely grained tannins frame a concentrated and powerful liquid expression that lead into an opulent finish that lingers on the palate and delights the senses.
Courtesy of Mathew Bruno Winery
The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the heart of Rutherford in the Napa Valley. The vineyard was originally planted by Mrs. Thomas Rutherford in 1895 – many acclaimed wines originated from this vineyard including wines made by Andre Tchelistcheff who’s wines became the definition of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
Driven by the desire to make fruit-driven, approachable Cabernet Sauvignon, this single vineyard wine is pressed and racked into 100% new French and American oak barrels. After aging for 22 months in barrel, we select the finest lots for our final blend prior to bottling. Aromas of black currant, cherry and dried fruits. Full bodied with a smooth mouthfeel, complemented by rich jammy flavors, finishing with hints of spice.
Courtesy of Amulet Estate
Napa Valley, “AE” acts as an introduction to our Amulet Estate Single Vineyard portfolio; highlighting new growing partners and younger vineyard sites.
The Cabernet Sauvignon’s single vineyard source, located in Yountville AVA, is sustainably farmed by the Bettinelli Family. This label also aligns with the farming foundations and production principals that our team has put forth for several years; a focus on heritage & family-owned sustainable & organic vineyards, with minimal intervention, to produce and highlight unique Napa Valley terroir.
Winemaker's Notes: Classic Yountville Cabernet Sauvignon in a strong vintage. It’s a graceful wine with an enticing array of earth, herb, and fresh fruit. Aromas of tobacco leaf and black cherry gently fill the glass. The wine expands on the palate with ripe mission fig, tart plum skin and fresh marjoram. A fine silky texture and dark chocolate linger for over a minute.
Courtesy of TOR Wines
The Phillips family has represented the best of the Napa Valley grape growing community for three generations. Their Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard is a special part of Tor’s 50-year history in the Napa Valley. He knew its early stewards, Bob and Alex Phillips, who moved to their family’s Oakville vineyard in 1978. Over time, they cultivated it into the world-renowned site it is today – best suited for Cabernet Sauvignon. We now work with their son, Bruce Phillips, where we have three blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon. We are hard pressed to think of a vintage where Vine Hill Ranch Vineyard did not contribute to our Black Magic bottling. The Phillips family’s love and dedication to the land is inspirational.
The 2021 Vine Hill Ranch is a co-ferment of gravelly blocks 4, 7, and 3. In ‘21, Jeff and Tor decided the sum is greater than its parts and they were right. This wine was fermented for 13 days on the skins. After basket pressing, it matured in 80% new French oak with a combination of Taransaud and Sylvain for twenty months. These two French coopers’ complement Vine Hill Ranch vineyards distinctive and beguiling character. Bottled, as always, without fining or filtration allowing for maximum development of mouthfeel and texture.
Courtesy of The Vice
150 years ago, visionary vintners arrived in Oakville to discover perfect conditions for growing some of the world’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon. The Vice founder and winemaker Malek Amrani was honored to keep up the tradition with “The Golden Years,” awarded 91 points by Wine Spectator.
VINEYARD - The vineyard is referred to it as a “ranch” and it is located on the eastern end of Oakville Cross Road. A stone-throw from Dalle Valle and a short stride from Screaming Eagle, the soils here transition from volcanic red clay to brown gravelly loam offering exceptionally good drainage. The vines produce small berries with deep concentration.
2019 VINTAGE - A near perfect vintage. The 2019 growing season will be remembered for its abundant rain. Summer was long and warm, with a mild season finish and no extreme heat events. The fruit preserved in freshness and finesse as it hung on the vine until mid-October. Harvest was smooth and promising for another exceptional vintage.
- 100% Unfiltered & Un-fined Cabernet Sauvignon
- 14.8% alc
- 20 months in 8 New French Oak barrels (7 medium toast, 1 medium plus)
- Only 2400 bottles crafted.
Courtesy of Hoopes
Hoopes Vineyard is a family farm as much as a boutique winery. As stewards of the land and their legacy, their authenticity in growing premium grapes and making distinct wines results in crafting the perfect bottles for us to enjoy. Just as intriguing is the history behind the bottles of wine and the labor of love that went into each creation. Their land is a regenerative farm first and an agriculture source second.
The farm and vineyard are run by Lindsay Hoopes, an adventurous and charismatic woman who shares her vibrant spirit and childhood love of the region with her fellow wine enthusiasts. Farming is in her blood. This is the place to enjoy wine from a small, women-owned business run by a farming and community advocate.
Hoopes Family Vineyard has been the grape source for some of the top Oakville wines for many years. The place is home to the next generation of wine innovators, a landscape for local biodiversity and regenerative agriculture, an animal sanctuary, and the source of some of the best wines in the region. Its signature Cabernet, the first in their arsenal, comes from the vineyard in Oakville.
Tasting Notes: As you pour this wine into the glass, take special consideration of the natural earthy tones. Inhale the scent of forest floor after a rainfall, foraged porcini mushrooms, and newly stitched leather. is luscious and fruity wine might surprise you with a mid-palate of fennel seeds and buttery toffee. However, the silky tannins will lead you through a lengthy finish of dark plum and bright cassis.
Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Aging: 29 Months in French Oak. 60% New
