2018 Ideology Cellars Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Oak Knoll District 750 ml

Wine Spectator called Ideology Cellars a “hidden gem in Napa Valley,” but our longtime members are well aware of their powerful, luscious Cabs. If you’re a more recent arrival, though, you may not have had a chance to try one—it’s been two years since we’ve been able to offer their Estate Cabernet.

So take notice: Ideology’s 2018, from one of the best Napa vintages in recent memory, is as fine a bottle of Cabernet as we can recall tasting from them.  

We have our friend George to thank for introducing us to Ideology Cellars.

It was one of those picture-perfect early summer nights, with thick steaks crackling on the grill and laughter floating on the breeze. There were a lot of incredible, big-name Napa Cabs open already, but George is a collector, so when he asked if he could open up another bottle, we couldn’t say no.

The second he poured it into our glasses, it was clear we were in the presence of special stuff. It was Ideology’s Estate Cabernet, and it more than held its own next to those well-known Cabs with three-digit prices. George had made his point, so we got on the phone with proprietor Bob Williamson the next morning and secured our first allocation of this modern classic.

Ideology is a winery that deserves more exposure. Located just south of the famed Stags Leap District of Napa Valley, where alluvial soils provide ideal conditions for dense and concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon, the estate’s limited-production releases have been praised as “top-notch Napa Cabernet” and “high-class” by Robert Parker. This is the best vintage we’ve ever tasted from them, a product of a fantastic year.