What do you do when you want to lap up some primo Napa Cab that’ll make you feel some kind of way… but you really don’t want to open those triple-digit bottles?

You can see where we’re going with this.

97 points. Top-tier winemaker. A respected producer with a singular mission: to showcase the potential of mountain wines from Atlas Peak.

Consider, for a moment, a few other 2021 Napa Cabs with 97 points from The Wine Independent:

• Dalla Valle $250
• Realm The Bard $175
• Bevan Tench $210
• JCB No 1 $295

Last year we brought you a similarly serious Mountainside offering from Acumen. But this PEAK series is altogether something else. And cheaper! The mailing list gets most if not all, don’t ask how we got it.

Acumen was started by Eric Yuan with a singular goal: to make killer mountain wines from this rugged terroir. Forbes called them “a shining new star” and for the past decade, they’ve gained serious recognition for their classically styled, powerful mountain wines.

From the start, they’ve recruited the best in the business. Early on they brought Denis Malbec and Henrik Poulsen on to make the wine. Today it’s Philip Titus leading the charge. They’ve acquired terrific vineyards atop Atlas Peak. Philip Titus, of his family’s own plus COHO, and Chappellet since 1990, and the one that Wine Business called “one of the New World’s most distinguished winemakers, and a master at crafting mountain-grown wines.”

And don’t forget vineyard manager Michael Wolff - he tended To Kalon Vineyard in the 1990s and cared for other sacred sites for Scarecrow, Quixote, Meteor, Lindstrom, and Vine Hill Ranch.

This joins 95% Cabernet with 5% Merlot, sourced from two Atlas Peak vineyards: Edcora and Attelas. Ripe and spicy on the nose, with waves of cassis, black currant, flashy oak spice, cedar, roasted coffee, and anise. Broad and mouthcoating, it delivers a terrific balance of lush fruit and more spices, oak, and savory elements to the furthest reaches of your mouth. Young, but polished, its fine-grained tannins reinforce the ripe fruit without any semblance of harshness. Super approachable, and with a bit of air this stuff delivers the goods.

Forbes calls Acumen “A New Shining Star From Napa Valley” further raving that “a relatively new Napa Valley winery that I believe will become, if not a household name, at least a name worth remembering… Acumen Cabernets are much more enjoyable upon release than many counterpart wines from Napa Valley. For dinner tonight, would you rather opt for a wine that is huge and brimming with ripe fruit and big tannins, or would you prefer a first-rate wine that can actually be enjoyed now? I’m sure for most of us, the choice is an easy one.”

97 Points – The Wine Independent

“The 2021 Peak Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, with 5% Merlot in the blend, is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a swirl or two to coax out notes of blackcurrant jelly, black cherries, and mulberries leading to hints of licorice, tar, and crushed rocks. The full-bodied palate is taut with dense, muscular black fruits, supported by firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and earthy. Drink 2026–2048.”