“In the history of Napa Valley, a legendary place, there are only a few legendary vineyard names: To Kalon. Beckstoffer. Eisele. Martha’s Vineyard, and yes, Bonny’s.” – Alder Yarrow, Vinography

Historians! Collectors! Napa Cabernet aficionados!

It doesn’t get much better than this.

A massive deal on an Oakville Cab from one of the most storied vineyards in Napa Valley. We’ve featured their Cabernets before, namely Spitfire and Fluffy Billows. And maybe you scored some ‘Le Bon Bon’ back in 2021, their counterpart to this one.

But this is the first time we laid hands on THE Bonny’s. While ‘Le Bon Bon’ goes in 100% French Oak for aging, this one continues the OG Silver Oak tradition that put American oak into serious collectible play back in the day. At the northern border of Oakville and Rutherford, the location of Bonny’s contributes to its fame, with neighbors like the Beckstoffers, Accendo, Gargiulo, and Growth surrounding it.

Few Napa Cabs have as deep a historical connection or set in motion such a defining style as this.

Here’s the short of it… a prevailing mantra for the Meyer Family when starting their own winery back in 1987 was to one day resurrect the 3.8-acre Bonny’s Vineyard. This site produced one of Silver Oak’s most sought-after Cabernets - their very own “Bonny’s” designate until demand overwhelmed supply; its last vintage was 1991 and Silver Oak never again released another single vineyard.

While Silver Oak had to discontinue their Bonny’s designate, they still sourced fruit until 1999 from this prized location, which formed the backbone of their Napa Valley bottling. When Justin and Bonny Meyer started Meyer Family Cellars, bringing Bonny’s back was a priority. Justin Meyer oversaw the replanting in 1999, however, he, unfortunately, passed away just a month before they picked the first crop in 2002. Only 22 cases were bottled and never released. The family still has a few cases remaining in the library for special occasions… where were we? Oh, the 2014!

Aged for a lengthy 34 months in entirely in 100% new American oak, it’s a testament to old-school Napa winemaking and innovation. A hallmark style, and one that will age for decades. This one, at 11 years old is proof of concept, with decades of life remaining ahead of it. The average score for it is a whopping 97 Points on crowdsourced CellarTracker, the latest note from just this past October reads “Third time tasted since 2021. Like the Silver Oak wines of the 1970s and 1980s! Garnet, almost completely opaque. Typical Silver Oak aromas of cassis and sweet American oak, classic for Justin Meyer’s wines of that era. Bonny’s then had a typical herbal character, but this wine doesn’t. It’s much more typical of their old Napa bottling, just pure cassis fruit and oak. Very smooth and balanced, not a huge wine or a “fruit bomb”, just California cab at its best. This is fully mature, with moderate but soft tannins. Should keep another few years but no reason to hold…enjoy!”

We agree to the wonderful sense of harmony and finesse, as wild berries, plums, and apricots pick up a spicy vanilla hint. Beautifully orchestrated, with ripe, plush-textured currants, black cherries, anise, sage, and cedar. Intense and long on the seamless finish, with oomph to age for decades, yet textured smooth enough to sip now. We suggest you save this for a special dinner and share it with the select few who would appreciate savoring the beauty. Claim your taste of one of the legacy vineyards of Oakville.

Grab all you can before it returns to history books, and then read up on this in-depth article…

Napa Valley Register – New ‘classic’ cab released - “Bonny’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon returns after 12-year absence. The 3.8 acres that makes up Bonny’s Vineyard surrounds Bonny Meyer’s home in Oakville, where she has lived for the past 35 years. Her late husband, winemaker Justin Meyer, named the vineyard after her. Back in 1979, Justin and Bonny Meyer, owners of Silver Oak Cellars, first produced 400 cases of the single-vineyard-designated Cabernet Sauvignon from Bonny’s Vineyard. Today, Justin and Bonny’s son, Matt, along with his wife, Karen, winemakers in their own right, produce 2,000 cases of Syrah and 1,500 cases of Port at the Meyer Family Cellars in Yorkville. They’re also making a Cabernet Sauvignon made from grapes grown in a once-famous Oakville vineyard: not Mondavi’s fabled To Kalon, but the much smaller Bonny’s Vineyard.

It is this wine that will bring back memories for those who recognize the “Meyer” name. Matt said those initial 400 cases made from Bonny’s Vineyard were nowhere near enough to satisfy Silver Oak’s customers — “every state would get a case,” Matt said, and the wine would be sold out within 24 hours. But his father’s decision, in 1979, to make wine from a single vineyard was considered “very hip at the time,” he added. After 12 vintages, the late Justin Meyer decided to stop producing the wine, his son said, because it would just make prospective customers “unhappy 364 days a year” when they stopped by the winery and were unable to buy any Cabernet Sauvignon made from Bonny’s Vineyard.”

During a recent visit to the Oakville vineyard, Matt talked about the conscious decisions that were made in creating the 2003 Bonny’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. “To us, it was most important to re-create the general style of wine made by my father,” Matt said. “The style of this wine is like those produced in the 1980s, a classic style with lower alcohol, more acidity, and some fruit and spice — not big gobs of fruit — but with green and vegetable characteristics.” When asked what the best part about the new wine is, Bonny replied, “Obviously, I have an emotional attachment to the vineyard, but the wine tastes so much like the Silver Oak wine. In essence, it’s a gift from my husband.”

Matt said, “It’s really scary that we’re making this wine. I think we achieved what we wanted. It’s not the modern-style, but the classic style that my dad nailed in the mid- ’80s… In the past few weeks, Bonny said she tasted the wine against others in her cellar, including a Cabernet Sauvignon from Screaming Eagle, also produced in Oakville. She said the 2003 Bonny’s had a “balance that was lovely.”