2017 St Finley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon California 750 ml

On the wine trail, we live for the unexpected: the surprises, the bottles that interrupt unassuming weeknights with juicy, attention-demanding complexity. And it only took a few sips of the 2017 St. Finley—poured around a friend’s brisket-bearing Traeger on a quiet autumn evening—to know that’s exactly what we had.

Hailing from vineyards in Santa Barbara and the Central Valley, this wine adeptly shows that boldly fruited, endlessly drinkable California Cabernets aren’t confined to Napa and Sonoma. That point was driven home by our second and third glasses, which played perfect foil to the decadent meat on our plates.

Robed in deep ruby, the 2017 St. Finley Cab releases aromas of cherry, violet, lilac, cassis, and tobacco with a swirl or two. Each sip bursts with red fruit, underpinned by a graphite minerality and laced with silky tannins, softly textured and polished by a few years of cellar age.

Santa Barbara is “one of the most exciting and dynamic regions anywhere in the world,” according to Antonio Galloni of Vinous. Even though it’s internationally renowned for cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the area’s eastern, mountain-flanked reaches boast a warmer microclimate that’s ideal for Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon. Pair that with the juicy ripeness born of the heat of California’s Central Valley and you’ve got a Cab that shows both complexity and excellent drinkability.

St. Finley’s organically farmed vineyards produce low yields of small, densely concentrated grapes. After fermentation, the wine rests for several months in neutral oak barrels before release. Today, it’s approachable and delightfully versatile at the table—the best kind of unexpected.