St Helena 2019: the top Cabernets from this Napa AVA
At the waistline of the Napa Valley, where the Mayacamas and Vaca mountain ranges are at their closest point, the St Helena AVA features some of the region's oldest and most recognisable names. Decanter's Napa correspondent Jonathan Cristaldi picks out the best performers in 2019.
QUICK LINK 2019 Napa Cabernet: full vintage report and top-scoring wines
Situated at the narrowest point in the Napa Valley hourglass, the St Helena AVA tends to be warmer with less wind flow – and in 2019 seems to have benefited from the wet winter and cooler spring.
Scroll down for the top-scoring St Helena 2019 Cabernets
Aron Weinkauf, winemaker and vineyard manager for Spottswoode said this pushed ‘budbreak back to the second week of April, with bloom beginning on 30 May’.
Veraison began toward the end of July when the weather warmed and remained consistent to harvest. ‘Even so, 2019 was relatively cool in terms of overall growing degree days,’ adds Weinkauf, which resulted in grapes with ‘lovely colour and excellent physiological maturity at relatively modest sugar levels.’
Consultant winemaker Jean Hoefliger, who sources St Helena Cabernet Sauvignon grapes for many Napa Valley producers he works with, says ‘the lack of excessive heat meant finding ripeness without dehydration. So in 2019 St Helena Cabernets for me performed really well, with ripe, dense fruit profiles and without any angular tannins.’
St Helena 2019: the top-performing producers
- Merryvale
- Ehlers Estate
- Corison
- Spottswoode
Cristaldi’s value picks
92 points Gibbs, Three Clones Cabernet Sauvignon, St Helena, Napa Valley 2019
91 points J Lohr, Carol’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, St Helena, Napa Valley 2019
QUICK LINKS
Napa Cabernet 2019 – individual analysis by AVA:
Calistoga | Coombsville | Howell Mountain | Oakville | Rutherford | Spring Mountain | Stags Leap District | Other Napa Valley AVAs
PLUS: Top-value Napa Cabernet 2019 – the best to buy
St Helena 2019: the top-scoring Cabernets
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Spottswoode, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, St Helena, California, USA, 2019
This biodynamically produced (certified from the 2020 vintage) red offers vividly bright aromas of ripe strawberry, sagebrush, coriander cream and cedar. Silken waves of red...
2019
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Salvestrin, Dr Crane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, St Helena, California, USA, 2019
Certified organic estate grapes from this famous vineyard see 21 months' ageing in 60% new French oak. Intense, meaty aromas give way to red and...
2019
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Davies Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, St Helena, California, USA, 2019
Dark, brooding nose of blackberry and black cherry with dark-roasted espresso, vanilla and cedar. An imminently satisfying soft mouthfeel shows plump, fleshy blackberry coulis, kirsch...
2019
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Corison, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, St Helena, California, USA, 2019
Alluring aromas of dark cassis, graphite, cedar and wild herbs. It has a striking depth with layered flavours and texture, and while restrained now it...
2019
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Merryvale, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, St Helena, California, USA, 2019
Incredibly ripe blue fruit aromas and perfumed violets leap from the glass. The palate is full, rich and laden with creamy black fruit, a graphite...
2019
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Sodhani, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, St Helena, California, USA, 2019
Thomas Rivers Brown matured this Cabernet in 100% Taransaud and Darnajou new French oak for 20 months and another 16 months in bottle. Terrifically rich...
2019
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Ehlers Estate, 1886 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, St Helena, California, USA, 2019
Richly scented, leading with caramel, boysenberry, wild fennel and toasty cedar oak. Intensely dark, plump fruit with lovely mid-palate depth. Incredibly well built with long...
2019
Ehlers EstateNapa Valley
Ehlers Estate, Jean Leducq, Napa Valley, St Helena, California, USA, 2019
Generous strawberry and cherry edging into underripe blackberry, cassis and graphite on the nose, with hints of coffee bean and cinnamon-tinged oak. Pronounced burly tannins...
2019
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Gibbs, Three Clones Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, St Helena, California, USA, 2019
Cabernet Sauvignon clones 5, 15 and 337 are responsible for this savoury-spiced, easy-drinking wine. Aromatic and immediately creamy with ripe red berry fruit notes, baking...
2019
GibbsNapa Valley
Boeschen Vineyards, Carrera, Napa Valley, St Helena, California, USA, 2019
Intense aromas of smoked meat, fragrant dried rose petals and leather. All black-fruit driven, with currants, cassis, liquorice, dried herbs, coffee, vanilla and roasted meats....
2019
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J Lohr, Carol's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, St Helena, California, USA, 2019
Paso Robles-based J Lohr also produces this Napa Cabernet from Carol's Vineyard in St Helena, a site named for Jerry Lohr's late wife. A very...
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