2019 Gibbs Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Three Clones St. Helena 750 ml

The 2019 Gibbs Three Clones Cabernet Sauvignon is a bit of an anomaly. In any sane marketplace, Cabernet from prime St. Helena vineyard sources simply should not cost under $40.

Consider what the neighbors get for their wines. The Gibbs comes from two vineyards: the Centa Vineyard, near Hourglass ($200) and Revana ($185), plus Cross Creek, which is across Bell Creek from Hundred Acre’s Ark Vineyard ($700).

The hype for Gibbs Cab reached a fever pitch in the 2019 vintage, with Decanter naming it one of Napa’s best under-$50 Cabernet values. And with James Suckling giving the wine 93 points and declaring it “delicious,” the cat’s out of the bag. This wine’s a Napa Valley insider’s secret no more.

Grown by a third-generation family whose vineyards have supplied grapes to 100-point estates like Cakebread and Chappellet, this wine delivers a powerful statement of St. Helena terroir. It’s the kind of overperforming Cabernet that was once common around Napa but is now almost impossible to find at anything less than a luxury price. Showing a decadent, dark-fruited bouquet and focused poise that couldn’t come from anywhere but Napa, this cuvée is named for the three clones of Cabernet grown on the two vineyards.

The winery’s vineyards and operations have been in the Gibbs family hands for so long, the winery doesn’t have the kind of capital costs that a newer label would—and they pass the savings onto their customers. For the level of renown attached to this wine, it could surely sell for multiples more.

Agricultural at heart, the family behind Gibbs remains laser-focused on the grapes and keeps prices reasonable—making this a one-of-a-kind, downright unbelievable deal.