2016 Buselli Red Wine Il Beone Oakville 750 ml

Bordeaux grapes thrive in Sangiovese’s terroir—and the question of whether Tuscany’s native Sangiovese thrives in Cabernet country is answered in the exquisite, perfectly aged 2016 Buselli Il Beone red wine from Oakville. It’s a powerful, plush, and sumptuous red wine built on Cabernet, elevated by a touch of Sangiovese, and it’s one of the best deals you’ll find in this Oakville neighborhood. 

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