If you are looking for a wine splurge for the holidays, consider these California Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Bordeaux-style Blends. The following wines are among the best wines I tasted this year. And whether you gift yourself or someone else, these wines showcase a pursuit of excellence regardless of price.
Cabernet Sauvignon
2019 Brandlin Estate ($90) fruit grown on Brandlin’s Mt. Veeder estate on a ridgeline high in the Mayacamas mountains; with petit verdot, cabernet franc and malbec; rich, full-bodied, firm texture; abundant dark berries, balanced with bay leaf, anise and graceful tannins
2019 Spottswoode “Lyndenhurst” ($90) widely regarded as among Napa Valley’s elite, with the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon among the valley’s best each vintage; Lyndenhurst, the estate’s second wine, is nearly as good; with cabernet franc, petit verdot, merlot and malbec; succulent red and black fruits, earthy and tobacco notes, and refined, texture.
2019 Sullivan Rutherford Estate “Coeur de Vigne” ($120) established in the 1970’s in a prime location in the Napa Valley, since 2018, new owners have elevated the winery’s already high reputation; with petit verdot, cabernet franc and merlot; concentrated cherry, cassis, with cedar and tobacco notes and a pleasantly dense texture
2018 J. Lohr “Signature” ($100) tribute to founder Jerry Lohr’s pioneering efforts in Paso Robles; an expression of the high elevation Beck Vineyard in the Creston District of Paso Robles, represents the winery’s ultimate red wine; with a small addition of the rare Bordeaux variety Saint-Macaire and a dollop of malbec; dense dark fruits, toasty and chocolate notes, elegant tannins
Merlot
2019 Duckhorn Three Palms Vineyard ($115) once again this “grand cru” vineyard on the Napa Valley floor has produced a top-notch wine; succulent black cherry, currant, toast, herbs and spice, balanced with olive, tobacco, and oak; structured with richness and depth and polish
2019 Sullivan Rutherford Estate “J.O. Sullivan Founder’s Reserve” ($290) a tribute to James O’Neil Sullivan who founded the modern winery in 1972; with merlot, cabernet sauvignon, and petit verdot; tightly focused structure yields to concentrated dark currant and plum, dried herb, savory spice and cedar, with a silky palate
Blends
Hamel Family Wines. From a leading organic and biodynamic producer, two Sonoma Valley special vineyard reserve wines ($160), each blends cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc: 2018 Nuns Canyon Vineyard – high elevation site, concentrated wild berry, black plum and licorice, savory accents, rich yet graceful, balanced with firm structure; 2018 Hamel Family Ranch – juicy dark berries, mineral and chocolate notes, hints of anise and a cedary element; full bodied, yet supple
2019 Brandlin “Henry’s Keep” ($110) with malbec, petit verdot and cabernet franc; similar in many ways to the Cabernet above but more complex with slightly more oak and concentration, yet a silky finish
2016 Sequoia Grove “Cambium” ($150) another winery established in the 1970s in the heart of Rutherford; blend of the winery’s best lots; with cabernet franc and petit verdot; bold red berries and cassis, with touches of fragrant, mocha, licorice, earth and oak, with a powerful structure
2018 Chalk Hill “Estate Red” ($85) a selection of the best lots of grapes grown on the estate’s steep, hillside vineyards located in the appellation of the same name in Sonoma; cabernet sauvignon with malbec, petit verdot and carménère; rich with flamboyant black fruits, tobacco, baking spices, bay leaf, in a full-bodied frame and lush new oak, finishing with soft tannins