2016 CAMi Vineyards Red Wine Napa Valley 750 ml

When Tor Kenward, the ex-Beringer exec and proprietor of TOR wines (the stratospheric-scoring mailing-list Cabernets we’ve offered a handful of times) raves about a wine he loves, we investigate immediately. Especially when that wine carries its own imposing 96+-point Parker score and “Impressive!” declaration. That would be today’s 2016 Cami Estate Red Wine Napa Valley—the rare Napa collectible that comes along only via deep connections.

Originally made for private consumption by proprietors the Shelton family, CAMi wines are sold almost entirely out of their tasting room and gallery in Calistoga. Their tiny two-acre estate vineyard was planted by David Abreu, the Napa Cabernet whisperer whose own Abreu Vineyards Cabernet goes for $200-$600+ a bottle. The winemaker is John Giannini, who trained under 100-point legend Thomas Rivers Brown. Brown’s winemaking stamp instantly prices bottles into triple digits like Casa Piena ($140), Revana ($150), and Schrader ($300+), making this CAMi a steal.

Just under 200 cases were produced, and not all of them are available for purchase. But thanks to a tip from Tor and our deep Napa connections, we secured 15 cases exclusively for Wine Access. This is one of those rare collector-worthy Napa reds that combines top-end growing and winemaking for under $100. A glass-staining deep purple, it’s flush with blueberry, blackberry, and wild plum fruit aromas, with complex mocha, pie spice, vanilla, and violets. This is lusciously dense, muscular, classic Napa. 

With more than 40 years experiencing the ebbs and flows of the Napa wine market, Tor Kenward has seen a thing or two. That’s why after a recent tasting with him at Wheeler Estate, we asked him one of our favorite questions: What does he drink these days when he’s not drinking his own delicious wine? And that’s when he told us about CAMi.

Newly-married Laurie and Tom Shelton moved to Calistoga in the late 1990s and opened a photography studio. Tom dreamed of being a vintner. In 2001, with the help of David Abreu, they planted vines on their property between St. Helena and Calistoga, eventually selling their tiny-cluster Cabernet and Three Palms Merlot clone grapes to high-end wineries. Unfortunately, Tom died in 2008, and never got the chance to turn the tables from grower to producer. To honor his winemaking dream, Tom's family created CAMi.

The first vintages were strictly for family consumption, but by 2013, the family decided to make some available for purchase in their tasting room and art gallery in Calistoga. Winemaker John Giannini spent time in the kitchen as Chef de Cuisine at Michelin-starred Terra under Chef Hiro Sone, and that experience taught him to make wines that are delicious on their own, but have the structure to pair with bold, rich-flavored cuisines. You’ll want to whip up your best beef bourguignon or coq au vin with this lusciously dense Napa Red.