The best Napa Valley 2023 Cabernets from each AVA
Jonathan Cristaldi presents his pick of the best 2023 wines from eight of Napa Valley's leading AVAs.
In past vintage reports, we have published separate features highlighting select Napa Valley sub-appellations – often eight or so of the valley’s 17 nested AVAs – typically focusing on those regions that submitted enough wines to warrant deeper exploration.
This year, with the 2023s, we are taking a slightly different approach, highlighting the 'Stars of the AVAs' in a single list, again guided by the regions with the strongest representation in submissions.
These are wines worth seeking out because they capture, in crisp detail, the defining characteristics of their respective appellations.
Top Coombsville 2023 Cabernets
Coombsville is situated at the southern end of Napa Valley, and among the coolest of the sub-AVAs, strongly influenced by marine air and fog drifting in from San Pablo Bay.
The best Cabernet examples tend to be dark-fruited yet bright and energetic, with lifted aromatics, ultra-fine tannins, and a sense of tension and length that distinguishes the wines of this windswept corner of the valley.
- Favia Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
- La Pelle Wines Ceniza Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
- Paul Hobbs Nathan Coombs Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
- Rewa Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
- AXR Bennett Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (97)
Top Stags Leap District 2023 Cabernets
Vines in the Stags Leap District AVA are planted from near valley floor elevations up to about 123 metres, with the craggy, exposed palisades of Stags Leap rising dramatically above the region.
The wines are often defined by finely sculpted tannins with a polished, fine-grained texture, supported by a typically volcanic mineral edge alongside red-fruit notes and warm spice nuances.
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- Cliff Lede Poetry Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
- Stag's Leap Wine Cellars SLV Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
- Robert Mondavi Winery WH Vineyard, The Estates Cabernet Sauvignon (96)
- Chimney Rock Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (94)
- Lithology Steltzner Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (96)
Top Oakville 2023 Cabernets
Cabernet Sauvignons from Oakville characteristically deliver concentration and depth, layered with complex aromas, flavours, and textures.
The best examples combine muscular structure with a sense of poise and refinement, achieving a balance between power and perfumed elegance that has made the AVA synonymous with some of Napa Valley’s most celebrated wines.
- Amici Cellars Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (100)
- Harbison Estate Horseshoe Cabernet Sauvignon (100)
- Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (100)
- Dalla Valle Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (99)
- TOR Wines Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (99)
Top Rutherford 2023 Cabernets
Cabernet Sauvignon grown on the benchlands and ancient riverbeds of Rutherford often expresses the hallmark 'Rutherford dust', a quality evident both aromatically and on the palate.
This signature character can appear as dusty earth, dried rose petal, or unsweetened cocoa powder, lending savoury nuance to wines that typically show generous fruit and structured tannins.
- Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon (99)
- Dana Estates Helms Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon (99)
- J.H. Wheeler Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon (97)
- St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery Rutheford Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (96)
- Whitehall Lane Winery Millennium MM Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (96)
Top Mount Veeder 2023 Cabernets
High on the western Mayacamas range, Mount Veeder’s steep slopes and rugged terrain produce some of Napa Valley’s most structured mountain Cabernets.
The wines typically display powerful, muscular tannins and a deep forest-berry profile, underscored by earthy woodland notes and a spectrum of blue- to black-fruited intensity.
A distinctive graphite-like minerality often runs through the best examples, giving the wines both gravity and lift.
- Pott Wine Incubo Cabernet Sauvignon (99)
- Lokoya Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
- Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
- Pilcrow Archer & Byrd Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
- Hess Collection 'The Lion' Cabernet Sauvignon (97)
Top St. Helena 2023 Cabernets
Situated near the narrow 'hourglass' point of Napa Valley, the St. Helena AVA tends to experience warmer daytime temperatures and relatively limited wind flow.
The resulting wines often show a ripe, dense fruit profile with generous texture, yet without angular tannins, offering a plush, approachable expression of Cabernet Sauvignon.
- B Cellars Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (100)
- Stewart Cellars NOMAD Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (97)
- Rombauer Stice Lane Cabernet Sauvignon (96)
- Patria A. Price Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (96)
- Whitehall Lane Winery Leonardini Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (95)
Top Howell Mountain 2023 Cabernets
Perched above the fog line, Howell Mountain encompasses an array of slopes, rolling hills, and diverse microclimates.
Its well-draining, rocky soils encourage small berries and concentrated fruit.
The wines are known for their formidable tannic structure, often presenting a broad, textured mid-palate supported by excellent fruit concentration and a distinctive mineral elegance.
- Arkenstone Estate Red (100)
- Salty Goats Wine Co. Cabernet Sauvignon (99)
- La Jota Vineyard Co Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
- Sylvan Lake Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (98)
- Moone Tsai Wines Hillside Blend Red Wine (97)
Top Calistoga 2023 Cabernets
At the northernmost end of Napa Valley, Calistoga sits at the foot of Mount St. Helena, nestled between the Mayacamas and Vaca mountain ranges.
The AVA is typically warmer during the summer months than most other parts of the valley, allowing tannins to ripen fully.
The best wines offer ample mouthfeel and complexity while maintaining balance, delivering richness without excessive heaviness or over-concentration.
- Hourglass Bluelne Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (97)
- Donelan Cabernet Sauvignon (97)
- Venge Vineyards Igneous Cabernet Sauvignon (96)
- Baldacci Family Vineyards Stella Knight Vineyard (94)
- Davies Vineyards Oliven Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (94)
For all of Jonathan Cristaldi's scores from the vintage, click here.
More from this report
The 18 best Napa Valley 2023 Cabernet Sauvignons to drink with your grandkids
Which Napa Cabernet 2023 should I drink and when?
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2023: A star-studded crop for the ages