2019 Dust to Glory Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

We’re forbidden from sharing the source of the 2019 Dust to Glory Cabernet, but rest assured, you’d be in disbelief too if you knew who made the lavish, cashmere-smooth wine inside this bargain-priced bottle. One sip and you’ll know you’re tasting the fruits of excellent Napa terroir, a 15-acre parcel that sits on the same famed terroir that’s home to some of the Valley’s top vineyards.

Our buddy, a restaurant owner for 30 years, was shutting the place down and putting the legendary cellar up for auction—but for us, he held back something special: a secret, unlabeled allocation of Cabernet.

This is a deal that only a handful of people in California could pull off. Our well-connected friend is one of them. His restaurant served as a “Cheers”-type hangout for many of the elite players in the Napa wine world.

This bottle was originally to be poured as a house wine for select regulars and friends of the restaurant. Its depth and intensity are informed by the southernmost alluvial fan in Napa. Sitting at the base of the Mayacamas, the soil is composed of tiny crushed rocks that have tumbled down the face of the slopes over millennia.

The well-draining soil and gorgeous microclimate, moderated by breezes gliding inland from San Pablo Bay, guarantees excellent health for the vines. That’s good, because the infertile, gravelly bed on which they lie challenges them to survive. The results—roots that sink deep in mineral-rich sublayers and yield small crops of grapes with magnificent concentration—speak for themselves when you pour a glass.

One of our favorite Napa restaurants may have bitten the dust, but its glory lives on in this phenomenal Cabernet.