2020 Halpin Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel Select Oakville Napa Valley 750 ml

When our friend Halpin recently came to Wine Access HQ, he was super fired up, even for him. The subject was the shiner of 2020 Oakville Cabernet he’d been gesticulating with—and finally, after pouring everyone another couple ounces and finishing the bottle in his own Zalto, he plunked the empty down. 

“This Cabernet—it was practically on deck with the bases loaded in Game 7 of the World Series. You have NO idea how close it came to going into an icon’s $200+ flagship!” 

Turns out Halpin’s deep connections scored him a seat at the table for an iconic Oakville estate’s blending sessions. He watched and tasted along as the cellar team—led by a 100-point Winemaker of the Year—homed in on the wine that would become their $200+ collector’s-item Cabernet. 

“The last day or two, the drama was unbearable,” Halpin said. They’d reached the point where the remaining barrels were virtually indistinguishable from one another—but alas, they had to choose. So they did, which meant some damn-near-flawless Cabernet would have to find a new home. 

We can’t say much about the source estate, which covers varied terrain where the Mayacamas Mountains meet the valley floor, except that it stands as one of the defining Cabernet sites of Napa Valley. Some of Napa’s most renowned viticulturists have toiled in its rows, and it’s currently under the watchful eye of one of the Valley’s most decorated winemakers. 

After the session ended, Halpin asked his winery contact about the four barrels that were the last to be cut. “Trust me,” he said. “We’ll have no trouble finding a buyer.”

Halpin, always a step ahead, stuck out his hand. “You’ve already got one.”