2016 Buselli Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Napa Valley 750 ml

Look in any direction from 7764 Silverado Trail—you’ll find yourself staring Oakville royalty in the face.

This spot at Silverado Trail and Oakville Crossroad makes hearts flutter and wallets wince. Right behind you: Dalla Valle. Immediately to the left: Tierra Roja and Joseph Phelps’ iconic Backus Vineyard. Across the street: Rudd Estate. A bit down the road, Tench and Screaming Eagle.

Buselli has been quietly wedged among these Napa colossi for decades, selling stunning Cabernet fruit to customers like Cakebread Cellars and winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown. When an Italian immigrant couple planted four acres of Cabernet Sauvignon here on the eastern slopes of the Vaca Mountains in 1990, it’s likely they didn’t suspect their small plot would one day occupy some of the most priceless terroir in all of Napa.

The latest generation to take over the estate—siblings Maria and Tony, the grandchildren of the founders—decided to begin bottling tiny productions of their own wine. To do justice to the family plot, they brought on one of the masters of the region: 100-point talent Tim Milos, the man with Opus One and Cliff Lede on his CV, and winemaker for Hidden Ridge and Immortal Estate—producers of some of the biggest blockbuster hits ever to grace Wine Access’s halls.

Made from all estate-grown grapes, the 2016 channels the elegance of rocky, volcanic soils in a seamless, plush, powerful package. It was a warm vintage, with mornings coated in lacy fog, and harvest occurred under flawless conditions. Finished in French oak, 65% new, this smash-hit offers Oakville pedigree at a price that none of us are accustomed to seeing.