High above St. Helena, where Conn Creek flows off Howell Mountain, the Anderson family has been crafting phenomenally rich and ageworthy Cabernet Sauvignons since the late 1980s, drawing numerous raves from Robert Parker.

It’s no surprise: Anderson Conn Valley is nestled in the same zip code as some of the most famous names in American wine—Bond’s Quella estate, Joseph Phelps, Seavey, and more—and still manages to be a standout, even in that privileged company. The winery regularly rings in with scores in the mid- to high-90s and has become a critical and consumer darling.

For those still unfamiliar with this St. Helena icon, Wine Advocate said it best: “If you have not yet discovered the wines from this nearly 28-acre vineyard…it’s time.”

Todd Anderson, the man behind ACV, is a Napa Valley icon. He seems about seven feet tall, but add a few inches for the black Stetson that never leaves his head. He is perpetually clouded by a billow of fine cigar smoke, and wears a long black coat—even when the St. Helena summer temperatures top 100 degrees—that makes him look like he stepped out of a Cormac McCarthy novel. 

Anderson has been making world-renowned wines in Napa Valley for over three decades. He grew up on a farm, so his love of the land began at an early age—he was even driving tractors by the time he was eight. He went on to get a degree in geology from the University of Pacific and started working at a geophysics firm, but found that corporate life didn’t suit him.

He decided to quit, and started looking for a career where he could get back to working with the land. Wine eventually proved to be his calling, and his unmatched knowledge of soil and microclimates gave him an edge on the vast majority of other winemakers. 

Anderson’s brilliant estate-grown Cabernets—drawn off his vineyards, which Advocate called “an undeniable source of very complex and age-worthy wines”—consistently earn scores of 95 points and up. Plush, saturated, and luxurious, they stand with the very best bottles from the big names of Napa Valley.