2017 Synthesis by Martin Ray Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

We wanted this wine—wanted it badly.

Rich and full on the palate, with ripe, supple tannins that beautifully counter the warm dense fruit, kissed with Madagascar vanilla and new leather. A 100-point winemaker in Keith Emerson, the mastermind behind Vineyard 29’s latest Cabernet blockbuster releases. A rave 95-point review from James Suckling. And a price that made all of the above seem too good to be true

Our total commitment to this gorgeous expression of Napa mountain and floor fruit—combining five outstanding vineyards—was all Martin Ray needed to hear. The historic winery asked us to feature the world premiere of the scintillating 2017 Synthesis Cabernet Sauvignon. We have the exclusive on this vintage’s debut, the estate’s flagship bottling and a beloved fixture of the Napa scene since 1997. You won’t find it anywhere else.

The Martin Ray team conceived of the Synthesis bottling as a yin-yang challenge of capturing Napa terroir—a way to step outside their usual single-vineyard approach. Was it possible to combine in one bottle the fruit of Napa’s high-elevation AVAs like Howell and Diamond Mountain with grapes from the valley floor that gave voice to the classic character of Stags Leap and Rutherford?

Not only was it possible, it turned out—it was ideal, with the racy acids and dense bramble-y tones of the mountain fruit perfectly complementing the plush earthiness formed by the sun’s concentration lower in the valley. Ever since, it has been a favorite of critics and collectors, carefully tracked by Cabernet-loving bargain hunters vintage to vintage. But with the highest score in years at 95 points, the 2017 may be in a category of its own.

Over a bottle of this wine (drained all too quickly), we got Keith Emerson to spill on the five vineyards that compose this release—but we can only name three. The other two are so coveted, and usually charge such high prices for their grapes, that NDAs prevent us from sharing here. Only the decades of veteran experience that Martin Ray has built up gained them access.

It starts with Clos du Val in Stags Leap, whose Cabernet is famed for its velvety tannins and awesome structure. Rocca in Coombsville, where vines thrive in sun-soaked, rocky soil, yields density and mineral oomph. The last valley floor vineyard, in Rutherford, is one we can’t name, but its dusty brilliance has made it a favorite of Duckhorn and Groth.

Moving higher is the famed Andrew Geoffrey Vineyard on Diamond Mountain, neighboring Diamond Creek (where bottles run to $349), at 2,000 feet in elevation. The balance and fine-grained intensity of the Cabernet is as spectacular as the view. The last vineyard, protected by NDA, is among the highest on Howell Mountain, adding a hefty dose of big, broad-shouldered power—the kind that typically costs $110 a bottle.

But thanks to this exclusive, and our longstanding ties with Martin Ray, you’ll get this stellar Cabernet—the best of the best of Napa growers—for as little as $39 a bottle.