2017 Groth Vineyards & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville 750 ml

Groth was the first winery to craft a Napa Cabernet that scored a perfect 100 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. And this 2017 shows that the iconic Oakville winery hasn’t lost a step since they redefined Napa Cabernet excellence four decades ago.

The estate ranks among Wine Access members’ top-rated Napa Cabernets, boasting a 4.5-out-of-5 rating that puts them in league with wines two and three times the price. And their 2017 is poised to enthrall all over again. “The 2017 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville) is a gorgeous wine,” Vinous founder Antonio Galloni said. “This flamboyant Cabernet is a real overachiever.” It flaunts the kind of black-fruit opulence and refined intensity that can only come from the heart of Oakville, some of Napa’s most hallowed Cabernet land. 

Take a leisurely drive down the roughly 2.5-mile Oakville Cross Road and you’ll find a pantheon of Cabernet powerhouses. We’re talking top-scoring estates like Plumpjack ($165), Tierra Roja ($165), and Opus One ($372). This is “the filet mignon of Napa Valley” according to Wine Spectator, real estate that practically comes with triple-digit Cabernet prices attached. And right in the middle of it all: Groth. 

Culled in part from Groth’s estate vineyards (along with neighboring Oakville sites), this Cabernet harnesses the same warm sunshine and well-draining alluvial soils as those pricey neighbors, but for less than half the price, which explains why Wine Spectator has called Groth’s Cabs “as good a deal as you can find in Napa Cabernet.” 

And that was referencing the winery’s $65 price. Today, we’ve got it for far less.

This was one of the last Groth wines overseen by legendary winemaker Michael Weis before his retirement. During Weis’ 26-year tenure at Groth, he successfully maintained the pristine quality that launched Groth to the top of the charts in the 80s, while replanting parts of the vineyard and renovating the estate’s facilities. Weis teamed up with winemaker Cameron Parry—an alum of Chateau Montelena, Etude, Sawyer, and PlumpJack—to deliver a 2017 with the same muscle and precision that landed seven of his wines on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list. 

The pair has bottled pure Oakville opulence in this 2017. Pulling the cork releases a gorgeous array of dark-fruit aromas—blackberries, black current, and Mission plum—with touches of violet and spice. That fruit intensity continues on the palate, revealing deeper notes of mineral and espresso, all balanced on firm tannins. 

In 1981, Dennis and Judy Groth purchased their Oakville property, with an eye on retiring in Napa Valley. The Groths decided to expand the vineyard, thinking they’d sell the grapes. When that turned out to be less viable than expected, they started making wine themselves and, in 1982, released their first vintage. Shortly after, with now-legendary winemaker Nils Venge at the helm, they crafted the historic 1985 Reserve that changed everything.

The names have changed—Dennis and Judy’s daughter Suzanne is now running the winery, and Parry makes the wines—but little else has, least of all the quality of this Cabernet. It’s a chance at a piece of Groth’s impressive legacy, and Napa Cabernet history, for an equally impressive price.