2017 Kukeri Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

It was a Curb Your Enthusiasm moment: Do we behave in a modest, polite, socially acceptable way—or blurt out exactly what’s on our mind?

We were halfway through a perfectly delightful lunch with Kukeri winemaker Petar Kirilov, who we’d convinced to join us when we ran into him outside of one of our favorite downtown Napa haunts. When we first sat down and told him lunch was on us, Petar hadn’t argued—he just smiled, thanked us, and reached into his bag and produced a bottle of his 2017 Kukeri Napa Valley Cabernet.

He popped the cork right after we ordered, and as soon as we swirled and sniffed the deep garnet Cabernet, we were reminded of why Wine Access members went crazy for our first Kukeri offer. Brooding, mountain-bred aromas of black and blue fruit and licorice, announcing a voluptuous palate dominated by blackberry compote, cassis, and black olive tapenade. Seasoned with intertwining cedar and vanilla spice and structured by well-integrated tannins, it was a Cabernet dream—one that just got better when our medium-rare flatiron steaks hit the table. 

Petar surely knew we’d be impressed, considering that the 2017 Cabernet comes from his top sources, including the Meadowcroft Mt. Veeder vineyard 1,200 feet above the valley floor, and another small family-farmed site 1,500 feet up the eastern slope of Atlas Peak. 

But with every succulent bite and perfectly matched, dark-fruited sip, it got tougher and tougher to keep the Cabernet out of the conversation. Finally, with our steak disappearing and our second glass of Kukeri dwindling, we broke down. We tapped our fork (definitely a little too loud) on our Bordeaux stem, which rang out over the din of the tavern, and just came out with it: “So our members would love this!” 

Fortunately, he was receptive, and since no one was in the mood to spoil a carefree lunch with negotiations, we struck a simple deal. We’d take the same amount as last time, if we could get a similar bargain price for Wine Access members: This time it’s just $35 per bottle.

Petar’s specialty is single-AVA Cabernet from some of the most prestigious regions in the Valley: Calistoga, Oakville, Rutherford, and especially the mountain AVAs like Atlas Peak, Mount Veeder, Howell Mountain, and Spring Mountain—and his loyal mailing list is happy to pay up to $105 for the experience of sipping these beautifully crafted Cabernets. But winery-only sales tend to go bottle-by-bottle, and for a boutique operation like Kukeri, the chance to get the word out to a fervent group of Cabernet lovers like the Wine Access faithful is kind of like our asking for this allocation—impossible to resist.

Fortunately, not all of the fruit that Petar procures from his top vineyard sources is claimed by the single-appellation wines, and the rest goes into his Napa Valley bottling. The mountain fruit combines with the Cabernet from the Valley floor to produce a wine whose beautifully balanced lush fruit is bolstered by a sturdy frame. Polished by 20 months in barrel (20% American oak and the rest French, of which 40% is new) it’s drinking beautifully right now, but has the structure to last five years in the cellar. 

We were sure our first Kukeri Cabernet offer was a one-and-done steal, but then fate gave us a break. We didn’t miss our chance to ask about the allocation, so don’t miss your chance to claim your share.