2020 Hudson Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

Hudson Ranch’s client list reads like a who’s who of Napa: Kongsgaard, Kistler, Arietta, and Aubert all depend on the revered site to maintain their legendary quality levels.

You can imagine, then, how special and irresistible grapes would have to be for Hudson to go outside their property line to get them. 

That’s exactly what happened in the 2020 vintage, when Hudson, which sits in the prime valley-floor spot in Carneros, had the chance to get grapes from a friend high in the mountains of Napa Valley. This is a secret NDA location—actually a famous vineyard in a mountain AVA of Napa—but Hudson is sworn to secrecy on the matter. Funny, Hudson being on the OTHER side of an NDA deal from a prime vineyard.

The result is the first wine Hudson has ever made from grapes sourced from off their vineyard. It’s a fresh, dense Cabernet with aromas of ripe black cherries, Damson plums, vanilla bean, toasted mocha, fresh sage, blood orange rind, caramel, clove, and cinnamon. The bold and balanced palate is carried on ripe, chalky tannins and fresh acidity.

When Lee first planted Hudson Ranch in ‘81, most grapegrowers had a farmer’s mindset, favoring yields over quality. But Lee, who had worked at the legendary Domaine Dujac in Burgundy, had seen first-hand how conscientious farming can affect wine. 

In the winery, Hudson’s 2020 Cabernet is treated the same way their clients treat their $150+ bottlings. A native-yeast fermentation provides complexity, and a carefully judged new oak treatment brings structure and exotic hints of vanilla and cacao to the table.