2019 Good Decisions Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena Napa Valley 750 ml

We could’ve called this wine “No-Brainer Decisions,” because when we got a rare chance to work with a St. Helena estate sitting on some of the most revered land in Napa Valley, that’s exactly what it was.

Here are the pros of this tightly guarded NDA deal: It’s from an iconic St. Helena site not far from Beckstoffer’s Dr. Crane and Las Piedras vineyards, the winery’s allocation-only estate Cabs have been called “flawlessly balanced” and “just about perfect” by Jeb Dunnuck, and, of course, the 2019 vintage blessed the Valley with a picture-perfect growing season that produced “breathtaking wines,” according to Vinous’ Antonio Galloni.

The cons: Well, there really aren’t any. 

Napa Valley, May, 2019: Rains had winemakers donning jackets and creasing their foreheads. But when summer arrived, it came to stay. That fall was like wearing gold-tinted glasses 24/7, where mellow sunlight and steady warmth let grapes ripen gradually. When the bounty hit the sorting tables, vintners became crystal-ball clairvoyants, envisioning sky-high scores and prices in their futures—and other winemakers descended, looking to get their hands on prime Cabernet.

Late that September, we walked the grounds with the owner. We were there to ask about one of their gorgeous estate Cabs, but we couldn't help but notice the Cabernet grapes still hanging—dark, plump, and no doubt bursting with juicy complexity. 

After he let it slip that they expected a bumper crop and that winemakers had been calling all morning to try and get a foot in the door, we made a move.   

It was an all-too-easy decision. The 2019 Good Decisions is St. Helena royalty—but at a price that belies its opulence and depth.