2017 1881 Napa The Founder's Red Blend Napa Valley 750 ml

Culled from famous but NDA-protected vineyards in Calistoga and the Mayacamas, this is a big wine that wears its pedigree and sumptuous new oak on its sleeve. Generous and full, bursting with plum and blackberry, it closes with rich tannins that melt over a long finish, leaving you wanting more. Those extra years in the cellar make for a seamless elegance that reflects Boisset’s own sartorial affinities.

If you’d ever been to one of the legendary soirees thrown by vintner Jean-Charles Boisset, you’d know why we consider his tour-de-force 1881 Napa Cabernets to be among the appellation’s most exciting blockbuster deals.

Sure, Boisset—a renowned sartorialist and Burgundy native who’s appeared on Decanter’s Power List—parties with fashion models and celebrities like John Legend and John Travolta.

But frankly, it’s his other high-powered dinner guests that catch our eye—iconic 100-point Napa winemakers like Helen Keplinger, Heidi Barrett, and fellow Frenchman Philippe Melka, a close collaborator with Boisset who’s consulted on several projects.

It’s connections of that star caliber that Boisset leans on when he sources fruit for his acclaimed 1881 Napa releases: high-end, glossy, opulent Cabernets meant to serve as tributes to the glory of Napa’s past.

Previous 1881 Napa cuvées have earned rave 5-star reviews. One of the last bottles we sold ended up becoming the bestselling Napa Cabernet of the year.

Today’s lush, powerhouse blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc is the first we’ve offered with several years of age on it. It might just raise the bar on the 1881—no small feat.