2022 Word Choice Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

Our 2022 Word Choice doesn’t just come from any Stags Leap District winery. It comes from one of the absolute big dogs of the appellation—a regal estate whose flagship bottling commands $350+.

This NDA-protected source is known for impeccable quality and taste in every bottle they make. We’ve been working on these guys for years to get just a few barrels of wine, and this year, our perseverance has paid off—and the results are stunning. This Cabernet has the beautiful freshness and smooth, ripe tannins that made Stags Leap famous, married to bold fruit and a decadent texture. 

Stags Leap is one of the toughest places in Napa Valley to source blue chip NDA-protected wine.

That means we start working on potential opportunities early. Our first conversations for today’s wine happened over drinks nearly five years ago. Point by point, little by little, we made our case. Since the very best wineries in Napa Valley are constantly dancing on the fine line between limiting production to create scarcity and producing enough to maximize revenue, we had a feeling that one day they’d call.

When we finally got tapped to taste our way through the 2022s, we were stunned at the quality on display. There were a dozen absolutely stunning barrels to choose from—lots that were clearly earmarked for some very expensive wine up until the very last moment, when the accountants wedged their red pencils in the way. Of the barrels we tasted, we were allowed to buy six, no more. 

Culling the barrels was a knock-down drag-out discussion among our wine team, and when the dust settled, we had an absolute gem.