Napa Cabernet 2022: Which 2022 Cabernets should I drink and when?

A stylish, polished wine – super-suave and expressive, with rich, perfectly weighted fruit and gorgeous, super-fine tannins infused with an iron-scented minerality. Beautifully compact yet intensely juicy, it bursts with red and black fruit, layered with gravelly mineral depth. The exceptional tension and structure give it poise and balance, making it a masterful effort that radiates freshness, precision and impeccable harmony. Owned by husband-and-wife team Luke Evnin and Deann Wright, Annulus Cellars is crafted by Nigel Kinsman, who met them through Bart Araujo. The wines are made at Wheeler Farms in Rutherford, with this bottling sourced entirely from Block 2 of Vine Hill Ranch in Oakville, nestled against Hopper Creek.

A seductively complete wine – compact, tension-filled, vibrant and energetic. Holds immense power and integrity, with pristine blackberry, red cherry, plum and blue fruit compote, laced with rich savoury spices and palate-etching tannins that are long, firm and grippy, building then resolving nicely through the extended mineral-driven finish. his wine is built for the long haul and is one of the finest I tasted from the 2022 releases. Kudos to winemaker Jennifer Porembski for her work with the Beckstoffer Vineyard crew. She is in the vineyard weekly, and every couple of days during harvest. This is a top-shelf wine. Steve and Seanne Contursi purchased Tony Soter’s Little Creek vineyard (about 2.4ha) in Coombsville in 2007, establishing Arrow&Branch in 2008.

The 2022 AXR Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from V. Madrone Vineyard, at the base of Spring Mountain, was 100% barrel-fermented and aged for 24 months in 80% new French oak. This vintage achieves a magical balance of dense dark cherry fruit and bright herbal spices, alongside high-toned sweet paprika, rose petals, sage, and capsicum. There is something beautifully light and bright about this wine, like rays of sunshine filtering through redwood trees, with musky, deep forest notes complementing its energy, tension, and balance. In this vintage, the wine is incredibly precise, with superfine tannins and an impressive lightness, standing head and shoulders above the rest as a wine of the vintage. Because forests surround the site, the microclimate created helped mitigate the impacts of the 2022 heat spell.

This wine is incredibly perfumed and earthy, with a neon-bright, electric fruit character that seems to pulse with aromatic energy. It lures you in, revealing subtle layers of pure Bing cherry, plum, and cassis, intertwined with violets and firm, seamlessly interconnected tannins. These tannins are almost elliptical—sleek and structured at the edges, yet supple and expansive on the mid-palate. Framed by intensely warm earth tones, the wine is lifted by violet pastille and unsmoked tobacco, leading to an everlasting finish. There’s an incredible freshness and tension, and compared to 2021, despite the earlier harvest, the clarity, generosity, and crunch of the bright fruit stand out. Arguably hedonistic, but in the way a masterful piece of art captivates—think a Caravaggio masterpiece, where richness and depth are layered with precision and focus. Seamless, compelling, and utterly complete. Winemaker Cory Empting highlights that despite 2022 being another drought year, the 7 inches of rain in October 2021 gave the vines a strong root flush before dormancy. By spring, with temperate conditions, they awakened with stored energy and grew with ease—a remarkable outcome for the third year of drought. The tannins and the wine’s striking balance reflect this vibrancy and preserved vine energy.

Complex aromatics lead with a high-toned, seductive Calabrian chilli oil note and vibrant bay laurel, interwoven with blue and red-toned fruits and subtle white pepper nuances. Hints of tobacco and sandalwood add further intrigue. Medium-bodied, the wine features assertive, grippy tannins with a pixelated texture and a pure fruit character that is bright and juicy on the palate—exceptionally fresh, inviting, and ideally suited for long-term cellaring or pairing with a meal. The finish is long and layered, offering the finest dark chocolate notes, a touch of sea salt, wet slate, crushed graphite, and an electric sense of energy and tension. A dazzling and remarkable wine for the vintage.

Sourced from the Maya blocks on the estate’s southern side, combined with Cabernet Franc from a parcel adjacent to Peter Michael’s Au Paradis vineyard, this wine is absolutely superb in 2022. While it’s not one to hold for 40 years, it easily has the structure to age 20 to 30 years—no exaggeration. Right out of the gate, at the pull of the cork, it is fragrant and inviting, with sage, unsmoked tobacco, and rich, elegant toasty cedarwood spices, accented by a hint of incense. The medium-bodied palate carries fine-grained tannins with firm structure, alongside generous fruit weight that feels more supple than in previous vintages. This is a “wow” wine, offering immediate enjoyment in its youth, yet built to reward those who hold onto it for as long as patience allows. Maya Dalla Valle, daughter of founder Naoko Dalla Valle, leads the winemaking, with Andy Erickson and Michel Rolland consulting, while Edgar Alfaro oversees vineyard management.

Incredibly fresh and lifted on the nose, offering bright cherry and blackberry fruit alongside fresh tobacco and dusty cocoa powder. The palate opens with upfront satiny fruit, displaying real finesse as super-fine, powdery tannins build to a crescendo, finishing with a chalky mineral character. Absolutely gorgeous, with Left Bank structure, lifted floral notes and a lingering mineral-driven finish. Critical to note is the location of Sleeping Lady Vineyard on the western flank of Napa, nestled against the forest of the Mayacamas Mountains. The blocks sit right up against the trees and benefit from afternoon shade.

An exceptional wine with a super-compact and incredibly suave tannin structure, displaying velvety, crunchy red-toned fruits laced with nuances of walnut husk and coriander spice. The medium- to full-bodied palate is driven by tension and vivacious fruit, kept in balance by profound tannins and a crisp acid backbone. A standout of the vintage, this is certainly cellarworthy. Crafted from 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, all sourced from 20- to 30-year-old vines and aged for 16-18 months in 60% new French oak, with a portion aged in large foudres.

Inglenook’s iconic red blend, Rubicon, combines 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Merlot, sourced primarily from their Rutherford Bench estate parcels. Aged in 100% new French oak, the 2022 vintage is a savoury, deeply structured wine. Layers of dusty mineral, damp forest floor, chanterelles, and cherry wood oak define the aromatics, leading to a medium- to full-bodied palate with driving energy and tension. Velvety tannins extend the wine’s depth, evolving into a fuller-bodied expression nuanced by a deep iron-like minerality, loamy earth, and pops of sage, thyme, and graphite. The finish is long and refreshing, with a firm yet balanced grip, making this an exceptionally structured and compelling expression of Rutherford terroir.

A rich, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from valley floor sites in Coombsville, Oakville, and St. Helena. Always a more textural expression, this wine balances the juiciness of valley-floor fruit with the structural integrity of top-tier vineyard sources throughout Napa Valley. A standout in the 2022 portfolio, it features highly refined, superfine tannins that provide grip, tension, and support for its ripe red, black, and blue fruit. Layers of sweet coriander-scented spice, cinnamon, and clove add complexity, while the finish carries energy and precision—a truly elegant wine, perfect alongside a rack of lamb or a juicy burger.

The Dante's Block Cabernet Sauvignon is a barrel selection from the Hoopes Estate Vineyard, aged 22 months in 75% new French oak. This full-bodied and richly layered wine delivers a beautifully complex array of flavours and aromas. Notes of fruit leather, tobacco spice, and a medley of dried herbs complement the crunchy red fruit character. Cool wet slate undertones provide added depth, while perfumed rose petals and lavender intermingle with intriguing hints of blood orange and crushed cacao nibs. The polished tannins offer excellent density and are elegantly framed by a firm spine of lacy acidity that seamlessly weaves through the wine’s layers of fruit and spice. Elegantly crafted and cellarworthy, this Cabernet Sauvignon exemplifies balance, complexity, and ageability, making it stand out in structure and refinement.

<p>Luc Morlet’s Passionnément is a barrel selection sourced from Morlet's three estate vineyards: the 9.7-hectare Cœur de Vallée in Oakville, the 2.4-hectare Morlet Estate in St. Helena, and the 2.4-hectare Mon Chevalier vineyard in Knights Valley. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel tanks and puncheons, then aged for 17 months in 85% new French oak. Unfined and unfiltered. Beautiful black cherry and blackberry fruit dominate the nose, with lifted graphite minerality, bright herbal notes, pressed flowers, and subtle Indian spices. Full-bodied and densely packed, the palate is layered with robust, compact tannins that thread seamlessly into a long finish, revealing hints of toffee and toasty oak. This is one of the most powerful wines in Morlet's exceptional 2022 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon lineup. Despite alcohol levels at 15% and above—a vintage hallmark—the wine maintains impressive balance, freshness, and integrity of fruit and tannins. Morlet’s 2022s are all well-suited to pairing with lengthy meals and are a pleasure to enjoy early and often.</p>

<p>A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Petite Sirah, and 1% Charbono, sourced from top vineyard sites, including Bourn for Petite Sirah, Tofanelli for Charbono, and selections from Upper Range, Moon Racer, Blair (Calistoga), and Farella. This wine delivers Realm's rich, dark fruit signature, with excellent density and concentration, building on the full-bodied palate. Suave, well-integrated tannins frame notes of tobacco and liquid graphite, driving a long, mineral-laced finish. Crunchy dark berry fruit and wild sweet herbs add complexity, promising further refinement with age — a cellar-worthy wine in this vintage.</p>

<p>Amici's 2022 Hirondelle Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, from the Stags Leap District, was aged 22 months in 100% new French oak, using Sylvain, Taransaud, and Darnajou barrels. This is a decadent, full-bodied red wine with rich, robust, chocolatey tannins and abundant blackberry, blackcurrant, and spice notes. In warmer vintages, it shows less of the Stags Leap minerality and more fruit-driven opulence, and in 2022, the result is an approachable, easy-drinking wine. With softer tannins than typical vintages, this is a wine to enjoy early and often. Tony Biagi leads the winemaking team.</p>

<p>Winemaker Kirk Venge collaborates with Renteria Vineyard Management on this project. The wine was aged 22 months in 75% new French oak and bottled unfiltered and unfined. The estate lies entirely within the Oak Knoll AVA, where gravelly alluvial soils and silty clay near the Napa River provide excellent drainage. This is a structured wine with robust tannins that soar as it builds on the palate, delivering full-bodied intensity, black and red fruit character, and white pepper nuances. Still compact and coiled, it is one of the most energetic and tension-filled wines Venge produced in 2022—undeniably cellar-worthy.</p>

The 2022 Batch 142 The House Cabernet is sourced from various Napa AVAs and aged in a mix of 50% neutral French oak and 50% predominantly new American oak. With a production of 16,000 cases, it serves as the workhorse of the label. This is a well-built Napa Cabernet, offering generous red and black berry fruit, sweet spices, cedarwood, and sweet herb aromatics. The palate is medium-bodied and bone-dry, with fine-grained, sappy tannins, and notes of spearmint, dark cherry, and spiced plums. The wine finishes with a pleasing, mineral-rich character.

Dark fruits and dusty minerals lift from the glass, nuanced by rich cola and cherrywood character. Juicy upfront fruit transitions seamlessly to the palate, revealing excellent concentration of dark-toned fruit and suave, velvety tannins with notable presence. These tannins build beautifully on the full-bodied finish. Reliquus is crafted from a blend of fruit sourced from Grace Family's estate vineyards in the St. Helena AVA. Designed to be approachable and easy-drinking, this wine is barrel-aged for 21 months in 65% new French oak, delivering a polished and inviting expression of Napa Valley Cabernet.

Sourced from a 244m site in Chiles Valley, this blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petite Sirah, 1.5% Petit Verdot, and 1.5% Merlot was aged for 20 months in 50% new French oak. This wine offers fantastic depth and concentration, supported by a framework of robust, well-structured tannins. Aromatics are pure and black-toned, featuring liquorice, violets, sage, and cedarwood. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate, it reveals inky dark fruit that oozes into every corner, while the powerful tannins build with intensity. The finish is marked by graphite and wild herb notes, delivering a bold and compelling expression of the site.

The Cuvée Sophia from the Nathan Coombs Estate in Coombsville is a juicy, supple red with cherry fruit, cola spice, and soaring tannins that build across a medium- to full-bodied palate. Layers of mocha, crème de menthe, and savoury sage and thyme emerge, leading to a finish with hints of coal dust. In 2022, the Hobbs wines are perhaps more approachable upon release than ever before, best enjoyed early and often over the next decade. The blend includes 4% Merlot, rounding out its profile.

From Vittorio's Vineyard, a certified CCOF Organic estate vineyard adjacent to the winery, this Cabernet Sauvignon was aged for 22 months in 60% new French oak. A very easy-going, medium-bodied Cabernet in the 2022 vintage, offering crunchy red currant fruit, sweet cedar spice, and hints of clove and allspice. Extremely gentle tannins further enhance its upfront juiciness and approachable, easy-drinking nature.

Aged 16 months in 100% French oak (50% new, 50% neutral), the 2022 Duckhorn Cabernet is a red-fruited, mineral-driven expression with an inviting dusty sage and sweet spice character. With early, upfront appeal, the wine’s gentle tannins and integrated cedarwood spices create a smooth, approachable texture, making this an easygoing yet refined Napa Cabernet.