When friends from California came calling this summer, we made them feel right at home with a casual tasting of 2020 and 2021 releases of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. We paired two lesser-known producers with a couple of Napa superstars but when those four didn’t completely delight, we hastily added a 2019 also drawn from our stash. And that turned out to be the hit of the afternoon.
Four Napa Cabs – Original Tasting Lineup
1. Luna Vineyards Napa Valley 2020; $89
A relatively new [for Napa] winery located along the Silverado Trail, Luna produces “Italian wines” from vineyards in Napa and Tuscany.
2. Post & Beam [Far Niente] Napa Valley 2020; $50
Far Niente is one of the great Napa producers, with brands such as Nickel & Nickel, Dolce, and Post & Beam as well as its own benchmark label.
3. Clos du Val Napa Valley 2021; $45
A three-generation family-owned winery, Clos du Val rose to prominence in the 1970s and ’80s. Today, its Israeli-born winemaker Carmel Greenberg has brought new energy to the winery.
4. Cult Napa Valley [Beau Vigne] 2021; $50
Beau Vigne (pronounced bo-veenya, contrary to what VinoDuo always thought was a play on the word bovine!) was founded in 2002 and is today under the banner of Maison Fayard, a collection of wineries owned by the famed (Lafite Rothschild, Philippe Melka) winemaker Julien Fayard.
Tasting Notes
On a scale of 1 – 5, the top wine in the original tasting was Cult, with a combined rating of 4.2. We found the Cult “smooth as silk” and “a silk carpet,” with a “round mouth feel” and complex blend of fruit and tannins. Surprisingly, the lowest rated was the Post & Beam, a wine VinoDuo has enjoyed over many years. But our tasters said the 2020 was “very sour” and “shallow; no longevity; no finish.” One reviewer noted black currant and raisin on the nose, with plenty of fruit but “no payoff.” The Close du Val was found to be “fruit-forward with a fruity, silky finish” but “crying for food.” And the Luna? “Sour and acidic; tinny,” “a tad dry with medicinal aftertaste.” One taster said the Luna was “very civilized” and came to life with the Gouda cheese.
Got Anything Else?
After marking our tasting sheets, we were ready to declare Cult the winner. But then we thought…maybe there’s another bottle lurking in our cellar that might really wow us. Gary headed to the wine rack and returned with a bottle of Pine Ridge Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019.
The Savior!
5. Pine Ridge Napa 2019; $79
Pine Ridge Vineyards lies in the heart of “Cabernet Country,” Napa’s Stags Leap District. Founded in 1978, the winery has grown to 160 acres across all of Napa Valley’s appellations.
We couldn’t wait the requisite one hour “breathing time” before drinking and poured the Pine RIdge immediately. Success! The nose exuded leather and tobacco with black currant notes. On the palate, the wine was “liquid silk” with concentrated black cherry/blackberry notes but not overwhelmingly fruity; “just perfectly balanced.”
The results were unanimous…Pine Ridge garnered a 4.8 rating from the group, and there were happy smiles all around. VInoDuo breathed a sigh of relief that we had rescued the tasting with a truly great Napa Cab, but at $79 it’s a bit pricey for everyday enjoyment. So we heartily recommend the Cult from Beau Vigne, which at $50 isn’t cheap but is well worth the splurge.
VinoDuo 