2019 Michel Rolland MR Napa Valley 750 ml

Oenologist Michel Rolland’s skills have been in feverish demand for nearly 50 years now: He’s been consulting since 1985 and has seen his name dropped by countless icons, from Ornellaia to Pontet-Canet to Screaming Eagle, but here in Napa, only ONE label bears his own name.

Drawing from some of Napa’s most prestigious vineyards—headlined by Andy Beckstoffer’s legendary To Kalon—his 2019 MR Cabernet Sauvignon delivers classic Napa power and mesmerizing complexity from a vintage Wine Spectator awarded 97 points and Wine Advocate called “Extraordinary.” 

Opening a bottle of Michel Rolland’s Napa Cabernet Sauvignon comes with a certain level of anticipation. After all, this is the winemaker who steered to greatness Bordeaux châteaux such as Angélus, Ausone, Pavie, and Pontet-Canet, as well as iconic Napa estates, including Bryant Family, Harlan Estate, Dalla Valle Vineyards, and Screaming Eagle. Together with 100-point winemaker Jean Hoefliger (who led Alpha Omega to stardom), he crafted a 2019 that’s already jockeying for a place in the Napa Cabernet pantheon. 

In this exceptional vintage, Rolland and Hoefliger drew from three of Napa’s most coveted sites. To Kalon headlines the vineyards—it’s been mythical in status for nearly as long as wine has been made in Napa—and in 2019, they turned to Denali, in St. Helena, and Furtado, near Stags Leap, as well. Both of those vineyards carry Hoefliger’s ringing endorsement: The 100-point winemaker taps them for his personal label.

Once the bottle’s open, it’s pure Rolland magic. He’s known for powerful, lush bottles and this delivers both in spades. This can age, but it’ll be hard for bottles to survive your grasp for more than a few years.