2019 AVA Wines Calistoga Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

You can trace the lineage of Napa’s great winemakers by who they tapped for stardom. Helen Turley mentored Ehren Jordan, who trained Thomas Rivers Brown. Brown championed Jeff Ames—and for seven years at TOR, Ames tutored David Grega. 

While Grega, a sharp-dressed Iraq-war veteran, helped Ames craft seven 100-point bottles, he also built one of the best Rolodexes in the business. That was essential when he launched his own brand, AVA Vintners.

David’s 2019 AVA Calistoga Cabernet comes from one of the north-valley’s most coveted sites, where red volcanic soils merge with eroded volcanic ash to produce complexity and a Derrick Henry-level blend of power and grace.

Calistoga is at Napa’s north end, far from the fog that rolls in from San Pablo bay and cools southerly areas like Oak Knoll or Coombsville. The sunrise-to-sunset warmth this creates has been prized for Cabernet growers since Chateau Montelena was established over 140 years ago.

But all the sites in the area aren’t created equal, and David Grega tapped a top block in one of the best Calistoga vineyards for his Cab—even if we’re not allowed to share the specific location. A mixture of decomposed volcanic ash and reddish volcanic clay build complexity into the finished wine, while its location near the base of its hill allows cooler air to pool, preserving freshness that allows David to ripen the fruit for power in the finished wine.

2019 was an outstanding vintage in Napa—a long, warm summer led to a mild fall and perfect conditions to pick grapes. Wine Advocate called the wines “classic, ripe, plush and beautifully expressive” in their glowing vintage report, and the AVA shows off those traits in spades.