Oakville 2020: The top Cabernets from this Napa AVA
Once again, some of Jonathan Cristaldi's top Cabernets from the 2020 vintage come from the Oakville AVA with the best showcasing concentration, balance and elegance.
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Napa Cabernet 2020: full vintage report and top-scoring wines
Scroll down for the top-scoring Oakville 2020 Cabernets
Early in my tastings, I visited Screaming Eagle and spoke with winemaker Nick Gislason, who said that ripening was slowed a bit by what he described as ‘dappled sunlight’, resulting from high-elevation smoke particles from the August LNU fires, which did not impact their vines.
Maya Dalla Valle noted that ‘alcohol levels were quite manageable due to the slower sugar accumulation’. Oakville benefits from the cool air coming off the San Pablo Bay, which funnels up through Atlas Peak and down into the Oakville area, particularly for vines in eastern Oakville, near the Silverado Trail. That classic Oakville elegance, minerality, velvet texture, and tension are present in the finest—and, sorry to say, most expensive and rare—bottlings of 2020.
However, there are some great values to be found.
Oakville 2020: the top-performing producers:
- Morlet Family Vineyards
- Screaming Eagle
- Harlan Estate
Oakville 2020: the top-scoring Cabernets
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- Napa Cabernet 2020: full vintage report and top-scoring wines
- Napa Cabernet 2020 score table: top wines
Harlan Estate, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, 2020
The 2020 Harlan Estate is such a pretty wine—compact, tightly knit, with a coiled-up energy that delivers surprise and intrigue in every swirl and sip...
2020
Harlan EstateNapa Valley
Screaming Eagle, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2020
Balanced, polished, seamless, and elegant—and just what you’d expect from this Oakville estate, humbly delivered in 2020. I had the chance to taste this release...
2020
Screaming EagleNapa Valley
Morlet Family Vineyards, Coeur de Vallée, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, 2020
A beautiful, full-bodied, mineral-driven, energetic wine with curvy edges from a very challenging vintage. The mineral-rich nose is infused with blackcurrant and Chambord, while the...
2020
Morlet Family VineyardsNapa Valley
Morlet Family Vineyards, Passionnément, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, 2020
Luc Morlet’s 2020 Passionnément is a blend of three terroirs. The backbone of this Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Couer de Valle, the Morlet’s estate vineyard...
2020
Morlet Family VineyardsNapa Valley
B Cellars, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, 2020
B Cellar works with nine different Oakville AVA Cabernet sites. Lovely dark berry fruits, dusty herbs, anise, and rose petal notes lead to a medium-...
2020
B CellarsNapa Valley
Vine Hill Ranch, VHR, Napa Valley, Oakville, Oakville, California, USA, 2020
The 2020 VHR achieves a dramatic balance of opulence and structure. Leading with plump dark fruit, fragrant brown spices, capsicum and bay laurel. Full-bodied with...
2020
Vine Hill RanchNapa Valley
Dalla Valle Vineyards, Napa Valley, Oakville, Oakville, California, USA, 2020
Absolutely riveting with immense purity of dark black fruits, sagebrush, sandalwood and purple florals dusted with cinnamon. Full-bodied with concentrated satiny black fruits laced with...
2020
Dalla Valle VineyardsNapa Valley
Groth, Oakcross Proprietary Red, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, 2020
The Oakcross Proprietary red is a complex, juicy, structured Cabernet and embodies that iron fist in the velvet glove style. Expressive blueberry and black cherry...
2020
GrothNapa Valley
Groth, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, 2020
A very lovely and elegant expression of Oakville Cabernet from Groth, which was able to harvest the fruit that comprises this cuvee before the Glass...
2020
GrothNapa Valley
Turnbull, Oakville Reserve, Napa Valley, Oakville, Oakville, California, USA, 2020
The Turnbull Wine Cellars Oakville Reserve is an explosively aromatic wine with heady blackberry and black cherry notes, kirsch, and toasty oak spices. A full-bodied...
2020
TurnbullNapa Valley
Grand Napa Vineyards, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, 2020
From Grand Napa Vineyards, based in Rutherford, comes this Oakville-designate 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, which offers up a hedonistic rendition of this famous AVA. Ripe blueberry...
2020
Grand Napa VineyardsNapa Valley
