Mission Codename Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride
Ok, ok! For all of you out there with Opus One tastes on a Trader Joe’s budget - this is the Cabernet you NEED in your life!
Some of you claim to have “too much Cab.” Which seems like saying “I have too many gold bars” or “What will I do with all these donuts??” Don’t kid yourself.
Frankly, you can’t have too much Napa Cabernet. Especially when it’s this good. Throw in 92 points from Wine Enthusiast, plus a hefty $60+ savings and you have a no-brainer.
We get a lot of Napa Cab samples, and this is easily one of the better ones in recent memory. I’m pretty sure Agent Cru even busted out the “funky kangaroo” breakdance move made famous by Australia’s very best breakdancer after tasting it.
This is the type of wine we love finding here. With our ears to the ground, and with just 180 cases produced, this 92 point Cab hailing from the St. Helena AVA delivers the goods. As Jim Gordon noted, it “hits the sweet spot in the center of generous, black fruit and chocolate flavors”.
We had to do some real digging to find out more about this producer. The website is mostly 404 pages, but Joe Shebl is the man behind the label. He’s actually been in the wine game for a few decades, having started at Renwood Winery (now known for Lithology, home to Alejandro Bugheroni.) He may have a low profile in the winemaking scene, but he certainly has the chops to make some very good stuff, as evidenced here.
This is a textbook Napa Cab with the lushness, the ripe style, and the power you crave. It also retains balanced acidity and ultra-polished tannins. Pumped full of black cherry cobbler, blackberry coulis, and cacao nibs, a touch of vanilla and toasty oak, and all wrapped in velvety soft tannins. Altogether a terrific example from the excellent 2018 vintage, and one we will drink with abandon in the near future.
Make room for at least a few bottles - you be happy you did.
92 Points – Wine Enthusiast
“This wine hits the sweet spot in the center of generous, ripe black fruit and chocolate flavors, integrated oak spices of cinnamon, cedar and vanilla, a velvety texture and good concentration. Best–2030”
What the Winery Says
2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
- Winemaker
- Joe Shebl
- Varietal
- 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
- Vintage
- 2018
- Alcohol
- 14.5%
- Appellation
- Saint Helena, Napa Valley
- Aging
- 18 months
- Barrels
- 75% new French oak