Napa Valley Cabernet: Best value 2018 wines under £50/$50
It's not easy to find a bargain among many Napa Valley Cabernets with prices regularly exceeding $100 and some topping $400 but Decanter has picked 14 from Matthew Luczy's 2018 vintage report that represent good value...
Decanter’s Californian expert Matthew Luczy reviewed 250 wines for his Napa Valley Cabernet 2018 vintage report.
Previous Decanter articles have highlighted his top-rated wines overall, plus the best from each sub-appellation, however for those looking for quality and value, the below list comprises wines all priced $50 (£38) or less.
Quick links
Individual AVA analysis and top-scoring wines:
Calistoga, Coombsville, Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder, Oakville, Rutherford, St Helena, Stags Leap District
Luczy’s wines of the vintage:
Corison, Kronos Vineyard 97 pts | Kapcsándy, Grand Vin, State Lane Vineyard 97 pts
Within this top 14 are wines from across Napa’s varied AVAs and from well-known and lesser-known producers.
Scroll down for the best value 2018 wines
To offer some context, the most expensive wine in the report – the 97-point-scoring Grand Vin State Lane Vineyard from Kapcsándy Family Wines – is priced at $500 (£380) a bottle and there are 145 wines over the $100 price point, with 42 costing more than $200 a bottle.
Napa Valley Cabernet: Full 2018 vintage report
Under $50/£38 ex. sales tax (tasting notes below)
Turnbull, Napa Valley – $35.99
Blackbird, Arise Proprietary Red Wine, Napa Valley – $42
Mount Veeder Winery, Napa Valley (Mt Veeder) – $27
Gibbs Vineyards Three Clones, Napa Valley – $35
Buehler Estate Napa Valley – $35
Whitehall Lane, Napa Valley – $46
Duckhorn, Postmark Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley – $30
Hesperian, Anatomy, Napa Valley – $49
Robert Mondavi, Napa Valley – $29
Round Pond, Napa Valley – $40
St Supéry, Estate, Napa Valley – $42
Duckhorn, Decoy Limited Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley – $24
Textbook, Napa Valley $21.99
Conn Creek, Napa Valley – $29.99
*Prices were correct at the time of publication for the 2018 vintage
Within the the $50-$100 bracket there’s value to be found too with wines from Frog’s Leap, Castello di Amorosa, Shafer, Chimney Rock, Grgich Hills Estate, Inglenook and more.
Less than $100 – 94 points and above
Merryvale, Napa Valley – $65
Farella, Napa Valley (Coombsville) – $65
Bravante, Napa Valley (Howell Mountain) – $85
Brandlin, Estate, Napa Valley (Mt Veeder) – $80
Chimney Rock, Tomahawk Vineyard, Napa Valley (Stags Leap District) – $95
Chimney Rock, Clone 4, Napa Valley (Stags Leap District) – $94
St Supéry, Dollarhide Estate Vineyard, Napa Valley – $100
Best value Napa Valley Cabernets 2018
See also
Decanter Premium Collector’s Guide: Napa Valley
The rise of US urban wineries
California Cabernet 2016: Panel tasting results
Turnbull, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2018
Softer and pleasantly vegetal on the nose, Turnbull’s entry-Cabernet is perennially one of the great value propositions in the Napa Valley. Its nose is floral...
2018
TurnbullNapa Valley
Mount Veeder Winery, Napa Valley, Mt Veeder, California, USA, 2018
Mount Veeder offers a higher level of consistency and relative value across an impressive array of price points than other Napa mountain appellations. At the...
2018
Mount Veeder WineryNapa Valley
Blackbird, Arise Proprietary Red Wine, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2018
Dusty, herbal and black-fruited on the nose, with hints of graphite and pencil lead. The palate is silky, precise and doesn’t feel heavy-handed in the...
2018
BlackbirdNapa Valley
Gibbs Vineyards, Three Clones, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2018
A bushel of inviting blue and purple fruits on the nose.The palate is spongy and sweet but with impressive balance and complexity at this price...
2018
Gibbs VineyardsNapa Valley
Buehler, Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2018
Bell peppers, menthol, and charcoal dust aromas. The texture is deeper and more dark-fruited than the entry Buehler Cabernet, with flavours of black currants, cedar...
2018
BuehlerNapa Valley
Buehler, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2018
Tart cherries, coffee beans and anise on the nose. The palate echos the racy, bright aromas. Pure, silky and simple in a charming way. An...
2018
BuehlerNapa Valley
Whitehall Lane, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2018
Aromas of toasted oak, cocoa nibs and toffee. Baked black fruits mix with notes of dark-roast espresso and tobacco leaves on the palate, leading to...
2018
Whitehall LaneNapa Valley
Duckhorn Vineyards, Postmark Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2018
A substantial step up from the Decoy Cabernet Sauvignon, Postmark delivers a deeper, more complete overview of Napa Valley. The finish is considerably more tannic...
2018
Duckhorn VineyardsNapa Valley
Hesperian, Anatomy, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2018
A simple nose showing a generic Cabernet profile of red fruits, moist herbs and damp soil. The medium-bodied palate is straightforward and ends with good...
2018
HesperianNapa Valley
Round Pond, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2018
84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, 1% Malbec. Simple, bright red fruits and hints of new oak on the nose. The palate follows...
2018
Round PondNapa Valley
St Supéry, Estate, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2018
Pure, fresh and floral aromas, The palate is nonchalant while being noticeably more rich than the nose would suggest. Clearly meant for early quaffing, for...
2018
St SupéryNapa Valley
Duckhorn Vineyards, Decoy Limited Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2018
Subtle, simple, woodsy and red fruited aromas from this entry-level Napa Cabernet. Hits its intended mark, it provides an accessible overview of Napa, and does...
2018
Duckhorn VineyardsNapa Valley
Textbook, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2018
Soft, simple red fruits and vanilla bean on the nose. Flavours of raspberry, red plums and strawberry. A lightweight, plain Cabernet, but well-balanced for what...
2018
TextbookNapa Valley
Conn Creek, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2018
Soft, and purple-fruited on the nose, with an almost carbonic-like lift to the aromas. The palate follows from the nose in the same vein, leading...
2018
Conn CreekNapa Valley