Taste of Napa

Quintessential Insider Napa Bottles

There’s no denying that Napa Valley is America’s premier wine-producing region, and that the best wines in the United States hail from the pristine manicured rows that line the valley from the Vaca Mountains to the Mayacamas. We’ve gathered together four wines that we believe deliver the quintessential insider Napa experience. From a locals-only Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc and top bottling of rare Napa Charbono, to a riveting Carneros Napa Chardonnay and one giant pillar of Napa Cabernet with fruit from Napa’s true Grand Cru Cabernet vineyards. This is your four-bottle ticket to getting lost in the paradise of exquisite Napa Valley wines.

Taste of Napa Set Includes:

2016 94574 Sauvignon Blanc, Rutherford, Napa Valley

94574 is the zipcode for historic St. Helena, smack in the heart of Napa Valley, and is also the name of this locals-only secret (and stunning) small-production gem. It offers everything you’d ever want in a Napa Sauvignon Blanc, bursting with vibrant aromas of melon, yellow peach, and honeydew. Layed and texturally exciting with French oak accents, bright acidity, kiwi and pear.  It captured the attention of Michelin-starred restaurant Auberge du Soleil and Solage Resort, both of which offer it on their list.

2013 Tofanelli Vineyard Charbono Napa Valley

Among California collectors, a top bottling of Charbono is among the most sought-after prizes, as only a few hundred acres in the state are dedicated to its cultivation. Of those, the 1.5 acres that Tofanelli has set aside for the variety might be the finest. “Maybe the best Charbono I have tasted from California,” boasts Robert Parker while winemakers Dave Phinney and 100-point legend Thomas Rivers Brown have leveraged Tofanelli fruit for their red blends. Gorgeous aromas of mountain blueberry, boysenberries, dark cocoa, and crushed rocks. Rich, terrifically concentrated, with a vibrant acid backbone. Featuring a luscious black-fruit core, sprinkled with sage and mocha.

2013 Nicholson Jones Chardonnay The Dolly Hill Vineyard Carneros Napa Valley

Julien Fayard is the brilliant winemaker behind Azur, and whose CV includes stints at Lafite Rothschild, Smith Haut Lafitte, Quintessa, and work alongside Philippe Melka. It was little wonder that someone of his pedigree would seek out fruit from Truchard’s Dolly Hill Vineyard in Carneros, where misty Pacific Ocean breezes from San Pablo Bay maintain a fine layer of fog until midday when the sun becomes hot and penetrating. The result of these diurnal shifts, coupled with the hill’s steep slopes, produced the luscious texture of this Chardonnay, which is rich and mouth-filling with vibrant acidity, teeming with ripe yellow apple and tropical fruits, mango, papaya with sweet cream and a stunning mineral through-line on a long, energetic finish. Only available from the winery, or here on Wine Access.

2014 TOR Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

For one of the best examples of why Napa is Cabernet country, look no further than Tor Kenward’s impressive bottlings. Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry carries this 2014 TOR Cabernet on its list. It is a blend of fruit from the very best vineyards in the Valley: predominantly Melanson Vineyard Cabernet from Pritchard Hill—a site Wine Enthusiast says is producing “among the most profound wines in Napa”—along with iconic To Kalon, Tierra Roja, Cimarossa, Herb Lamb, and Vine Hill Ranch fruit. Glistening dark, almost black, with intoxicating aromas of cassis, blackberry, chocolate, and cinnamon, gently framed by fine French oak. A rich, dark-fruited profile is buttressed by chocolaty tannins that lead into a seductively long, brambly finish.