California, Rare

Founded in 2005, Altvs, which means “noble and profound,” is a luxury-class Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. It is part of the Merus Wine Group formed by Bill Foley. Produced in extremely small quantities, Altvs harvests fruit from a combination of mountai

Now in its third century, Charles Krug Winery is the quintessential example of a multigenerational winery that fuses tradition and innovation to craft wines of high acclaim. It is the oldest winery in the Napa Valley and has been owned and operated by the

This wine is from Cathy Corison’s 8.5 acre vineyard surrounding her winery on the Highway 12 in St. Helena, Napa. Planted in 1970 on St. George root stock, the soil is gravely loam. Released at $75 this author gave this wine a 15/20. Aggregated critics s

Don Carano and his family started this Ferrari Carano winery originally to get away from their fast passed Eldorado casino business in Reno, Nevada. However, as the wine bug kicked in, they decided to sell their wines beyond the casino. With his childr

A classic Cabernet Sauvignon with intense black fruit, plenty of Rutherford dust and a seductive, plush texture that promises a long and luxurious future. This is a wine to pair with roasted leg of lamb or, if you can resist, one that will continue to dev

The estate was founded by Joe Heitz in 1961. Heitz had been a professor in the enology department of California State University in Fresno, and had previously assisted the esteemed winemaker André Tchelistcheff at Beaulieu Vineyards. Wanting to begin his

This 2008 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon is a dark ruby garnet color, with violet reflections. Add clear spice, leafy touch, some graphite, black olives, dark minerality, delicate eucalyptus, and you have one of the classic Jordan Cabs. The bottle has a perfec

The 1985 Opus One has consistently performed between 88-90 points. It exhibits a healthy dark ruby color with no signs of age. The nose has not budged much from when it was first bottled. The delicate yet attractive fragrance of vanilla, herbs, cassis, an

With its eponymous blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot, the 2018 Fifty/Fifty starts on the nose with hints of bramble fruit and black tea. The palate is extremely complex with plum, licorice, dark berries, and vanilla bean. This bottle has an

Ridge Vineyards is a famed Californian wine producer founded in 1962, and based in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but with vineyards in several parts of the state. Its flagship wine, Monte Bello, is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated Bordeaux blend known for deliv

95 points Connoisseurs Guide
Outer quote mark Deep, rich, ripe and focused, this wine charms from the outset with aromas that are spot on for varietal precision and smell of the complex, layered best of the West Rutherford Bench. Its combination of curra

Sequoia Grove is a California wine producer located in Rutherford, one of Napa Valley's most prestigious sub-regions. The winery was founded in 1979 and has been owned by the Kopf family since 2002. It is best known for its varietal Cabernet Sauvignon and

This author had this 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 1/22/09 with the wine maker Dan Baron out of barrel. The blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The fill is excellent and the cork is in perfect condi

This author tasted this 2005 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon from their Alexander Valley Winery on January 22, 2009. I scored it an 18/20 and found it very close to the great house in Bordeaux of Chateau Pichone Lalande. This bottle is in excellent condit

Established by pioneering grape grower Nathan Fay in 1961 it was the first planting of Cabernet Sauvignon in what is now the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley. Tasting Nathan Fay’s homemade Cabernet in 1969 by Warren Winiarski of Stags Leap Wine Cellars

Stonestreet Estate Vineyards and Winery in the Alexander Valley stands as one of the most extensive mountain estates in the world and is a testament to the quality of high-elevation winegrowing in California. Here one finds a collection of distinctive sin