2020 Stay Home Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

The winemaker who crafted this sultry Napa Cabernet beauty, aged 14 months in 25% new French oak, calls it his House Blend—as in, the wine he likes to drink at home. Like his bespoke Italian velvet slippers or the morning espresso he drinks with beans he roasted himself, it’s tailored to his specific tastes, which tend to be decadently rich.

His legendary estate is so well known, we can’t even mention the revered sub-appellation it belongs to. The winery is the standard-bearer for the district’s opulent, classically proportioned Cabernets adored by collectors and critics. In 2020, he decided to pull back on production numbers, freeing up a little more juice for the House Blend, which he typically pours just for family or friends.

We make it our business to know about such off-the-record wines. In exchange for discretion and keeping his brand integrity intact, we offered to help him make a little coin off the limited-production cuvée he crafts purely for pleasure.

He’s still turning out some of the most sculptural, seamless wines in Napa, and still pulling down big scores from the critics. But off the clock, he’s a charming conversationalist who likes to drink full-bodied Cabernet that’s as familiar and comforting as his leather sofa. He could tell us all about the exact rows this wine was harvested from, and the influence of the volcanic soils and cool morning fog, “But that would be boring,” he said with a wink. 

“Stay Home” isn’t just the name of this Cab, it’s good advice, so crack a bottle, sink down into an easy chair, and experience Napa the way the locals do.