Top Napa Cabernet wines for the cellar
See new tasting notes and ratings on a selection of the most coveted Cabernet Sauvignon wines from Napa Valley, tasted by Master Sommelier Ronan Sayburn.
Ronan Sayburn MS has selected must-have bottles of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon for your cellar, including 100% Cabernet wines and Cabernet-dominant, Bordeaux-style blends.
Scroll down for Sayburn’s top Napa Cabernets
Sayburn’s top-scoring Cabernet from the tasting is Cain, Five 2004, rated at 96/100 points, closely followed by Diamond Creek, Gravelly Meadow 2016 at 95 points.
The collection also includes big hitters like Joseph Phelps’ Insignia, a Decanter wine legend, as well as historic Napa names such as Beringer, which was founded in 1876 and survived the Prohibition.
Other entries come from the winemakers who helped build the Napa Valley’s global reputation as a premium wine region, including Paul Hobbs, Cathy Corison and David Abreu.
Other wines at the tasting included Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, the winery made famous by the 1976 Judgement of Paris tasting.
The collection spans older vintages from 1989 and 1993, as well as newer releases from 2016. However, although these wines will continue to evolve for years to come, many have entered their drinking window as of 2018.
Introduction copy by Laura Seal.
Top Napa Cabernet wines for the cellar:
Ronan Sayburn is a Master Sommelier and head of wine at 67 Pall Mall in London, he is also COO for the Court of Master Sommeliers Europe.
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Cain Vineyard & Winery, Cain Five, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2004
From an amphitheatre of vines planted at the crest of Spring Mountain, overlooking Napa Valley. This has delicious, classic Bordeaux aromas of fresh pencil shavings,...
2004
Cain Vineyard & WineryNapa Valley
Diamond Creek Vineyards, Gravelly Meadow, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2016
An old-school European style with a great nose of toffee, mocha with blackcurrants and dried herbs. Grippy structure and fresh acidity; this is a youthful...
2016
Diamond Creek VineyardsNapa Valley
Mayacamas, Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Mt Veeder, California, USA, 2008
Hailing from a historic Napa estate located on Mt Veeder, this wine has a deep colour but is showing a mature-looking rim. Very bright and...
2008
MayacamasNapa Valley
Joseph Phelps, Insignia, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2011
This vintage of Joseph Phelps' flagship accurately reflects the challenging but charming 2011 vintage. The cool, wet year brings fresh, herbal, rustic qualities – a...
2011
Joseph PhelpsNapa Valley
Beringer, Private Reserve, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2002
Blackcurrant, cherry and cedar aromas mix with an earthier tertiary notes of leather and damp forest floor. Surprisingly bright and youthful, the tannins are soft...
2002
BeringerNapa Valley
Grgich Hills Estate, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2008
A mature nose with Christmas cake, leather and balsamic notes. Blackcurrant, earthy, mineral and graphite pencil shaving characteristics are accompanied by fine tannins and a...
2008
Grgich Hills EstateNapa Valley
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Fay Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District, California, USA, 2012
92
This wine has both elegance and finesse, expressing creamy aromas of fine oak and cigar box accompanied by fresh, juicy dark fruits. Five-spice, menthol, harmonious cherry and a raspberry hint give a complex yet balanced red fruit character. Founded in 1970 and winner of the best red wine in the 1976 Judgement of Paris tasting, this is one of Napa’s ‘first growths’.
2012
Stag's Leap Wine CellarsNapa Valley
Abreu Vineyards, Rothwell Hyde Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, 2014
This is a dark and brooding wine with concentrated blackcurrant aromas of black cherry jam, spearmint and a touch of cedar wood. It is well...
2014
Abreu VineyardsNapa Valley
Ramey, Pedregal, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, 2011
Earthy, ferrous stone aromas mixed with tight ripe blackcurrant fruits, followed by a mocha, cedar and smoke hint on the palate, plus bright acidity and...
2011
RameyNapa Valley
Corison, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California, USA, 1989
This wine has a maturing pale rim and a nose showing a mature gamey, wet leaf, leathery character with hints of dark chocolate. The palate...
1989
CorisonNapa Valley
Paul Hobbs, Cross Barn, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2014
Dark purple in colour with enticing aromas of black cherry, blueberries, liquorice and menthol. Sweet mocha and blackcurrant fruit on the palate, tannins are smooth...
2014
Paul HobbsNapa Valley
