How on earth did we miss this beloved Operatives? The Summers Estate Charbono (Sold Out Mission Codename Shwing!) we featured back in August got us so dazzled that we delayed opening this Caba bit, but why did we do that we wonder? To quote Frank Sinatra; “regrets, we had a few, but then again, too few to mention…”

BOOM! It’s explosively good. And what’s up with that $29.99 price? As they happen to be just down the road from the iconic Chateau Montelena Estate the Summers Estate got so impressed with how much of their Charbono we were able to sell that they offered a follow-up feature with this NAPA Cab at an irresistible price.

If a tone of red is to be called “the color of Napa” this is it, a deep, near opaque ruby defining the appearance. Black raspberry, blackberry, dark chocolate, and charred oak meld with sweet spices on the elevated, perfumed nose. A fabulous balance of dusty tannins, grippy freshness, with dried and extracted fruits outline the broad palate impression with authority. Fairly long and seriously tasty given the league this belongs in at its modest price point, with a pleasant lingering warmth and caressing youth, typical of top Calistoga fruit in outstanding vintages such as 2016. A thick cut of medium-rare prime rib with creamy horseradish and a medley of beans would be the perfect plate to be washed down with this.

No wonder Robert Parker once advocated; “One of my favorite value wineries is Summers Estate, whose winemaker, Ignacio Blancas, does a terrific job of getting maximum varietal character from these realistically priced wines.”

Add to that the fact that the Wine Advocate broke out a monstrous 98-point rating for this Napa Cab harvest with; “2016 to be the best, most consistent Napa Valley vintage among a string of 5 great years… what I particularly love about the character of the 2016s is a kind of effortlessness about the wines - like a child possessing natural beauty from the get-go.”

Hear this from us FIRST! An upcoming Wine Spectator feature titled; “9 Napa Cabernets that Deliver the Goods for Less” will be listing THIS wine as their #1 highest rated pick. Little do they know that The Wine Spies proudly is featuring it, for today only, at a fantastic 40% discount on top of its already affordable $50 per bottle price. You would be hard-pressed to find a better Napa Cabernet deal UNDER $30 out there!

Here’s what the wine press has to say:

92 Points – Wine Spectator - “Tasting Highlights’ wine reviews are fresh out of the tasting room, offering a sneak peek of our editors’ most recent scores and notes to WineSpectator.com members. Buying Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon does not necessarily have to set your credit card on fire. There are plenty of affordable and dependable options out here—you just have to know where to look. We’ve compiled a selection of California Cabernets that overdeliver on quality for the price. The Summers Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2016 features an intense core of steeped loganberry and black currant fruit flavors, infused with singed apple wood, anise and licorice notes. Grippy but racy, with a flash of savory adding cut and energy to the finish. Best from 2021 through 2032”