2018 Moundsman Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Napa Valley 750 ml

When the Moundsman, our multi-generational grower connection, told us the grape source that he had a line on, it took five minutes to convince us he was being sincere—and then one second for us to write the check. Because it’s a Grand Cru Napa site, which Robert M. Parker Jr. has called “a first-growth vineyard,” and which has inspired flagship wines for Napa icons like Sojourn ($124), Myriad Cellars ($175+), Alpha Omega ($250), Schrader ($375+), and several others since the 1950s! 

When all was said and done, we took that magic fruit on a surplus-year steal of a price, and turned it into a Cabernet Sauvignon of the highest caliber—one that draws smashed blackberries, blueberries, and bay leaf from the soft plushness of Rutherford ripened grapes. And we've got it for you at an incredible price.

We can’t guarantee too many things in the world of wine, but it’s a shoo-in that we won’t ever gain access to these particular grapes again. Most producers harbor 30-year contracts, and abundant vintages such as 2018 are once-in-a-decade events. 

After handing the Moundsman a larger check than we’d planned on writing, we continued to prod him—almost begging to see the block of vines in the vineyard we’ve known all too well from taste. We’d never set actual boots on the ground. It would be like visiting Mecca for us, we said (exaggerating only a little). But he just shook his head. “Can’t do it,” he said. “But I promise you won’t be disappointed.” 

We understood what he meant. As far as vineyards go—and we don’t mean to harp on this—few are as elite as this one. Not everyone’s shoes are fit to walk on the soil. Our pride might have been a little damaged, but two years later, pulling the cork on many bottles (we’re keeping quite a few of this one at HQ), our pride has shifted to what’s inside—and we’re extremely proud of this Cabernet. 

After expressing our gratitude and parting ways with the Moundsman that day, we polled each other to see if any of us had recently picked a four-leaf clover. None of us had. So how did we get so lucky? Then we realized it wasn’t luck at all; after so many years visiting and finally setting down roots in Napa Valley, we just have the right connections. If you’re trying to take a trip to the moon, you’d trust a team of expert rocket scientists to get you there. And if you find yourself with access to a coveted lot of grapes, you trust the Moundsman and take the grapes, sight unseen.