2019 Sequum Cabernet Sauvignon Four Soil Melange Napa Valley 750 ml

Since the 1980s, wineries like Bryant Family, Staglin, and Caymus have had Paul Skinner, PhD., on speed-dial.

He’s “The Dirt Doctor.” The Soil Yoda. The guy who knows better than anyone in Napa Valley what to plant and where to plant it. And it turns out that when you plant some of the best vineyards in town for over 40 years, you get access to some prime fruit sources…like Pride Mountain.

Skinner leveraged his knowledge and connections to make an exceptional “four-soil” Sequum Cabernet whose sum is even greater than its impressive parts. It’s sourced from Pride, Pocai Vineyard in Calistoga, and Skinner’s own carefully-tended home vineyard in St. Helena.

“Sequum” is a term from soil science that refers to how overlapping layers of soil interact, and the Four Soil Melange Cabernet is a blend of four of the best soil series in the valley: Bale, Aiken, Perkins, and Cortina. Dr. Skinner—who holds a PhD. in viticulture and soil science—told Wine Spectator, “It's more interesting to take these distinct soils and see how they come together. Most growers don't have access to these four types of soils.”

His knowledge also is a major factor in his own home vineyard, Kidd Ranch. Dr. Skinner once told Robb Report that the 10 different Cabernet clones he planted there surprised him with the complexity they lended. “The different clones have resulted in multiple layers of flavor…The aromas and flavors are what I call ‘the best of Napa Cabernet.”

Dr. Skinner produced only 139 cases of this wine, with the help of his colleagues at Pride Mountain Vineyards. It’s a true rarity and insiders’ wine.