A change happens in all of us as soon as the temperatures start to dip and the first round of crisp brown leaves skitter across the sidewalks. We put on our favorite sweaters, find a few crumpled up bills that have been hibernating in our jacket pockets all summer, and suddenly we are craving a hearty meal and an even heartier wine to go alongside it. There’s something about cozying up with a glass of robust red wine that feels indulgent, regal even—and what better way to indulge than a bottle of great California Cabernet Sauvignon. Today we’re highlighting some of the best in the field, all making outstanding age-worthy (and gift-worthy, with the holidays just around the corner) wines that are perfect for sipping on a cool autumn evening. Included are wines from Cathy Corison, Matthiasson, Ridge, Dunn (including a special three-vintage vertical of their renowned Howell Mountain Cab), and a few others at a variety of price points to fit any budget.

Cathy Corison started making wine in 1987, initially using purchased fruit from a few select vineyards in Napa with a mission to create beautiful, age-worthy Cab that speaks of place, without excessive manipulation in the cellar. In 1995 she and her husband William Martin purchased Kronos Vineyard, and in 1999 they built the winery barn (pictured above). Cathy is a firm believer that a wine can only ever be as good as the grapes that go into it, so her focus first and foremost is on farming. She goes well beyond simply doing the bare minimum to achieve organic certification, working with an eye toward sustainability by employing sheep to graze and fertilize the vineyards, birds to help insect and pest control, and using no gasoline-powered machinery (instead opting for an electric forklift and tractors). The winery is fitted with solar panels and has a built-in passive cooling system designed by William, which help to keep their emissions and carbon footprint low. Cathy aims to emphasize the more elegant side of Cabernet Sauvignon, believing that there’s an inherent power that comes through in all Cab, but when treated properly it can be as harmonious and beautiful as any other grape. She does this by picking at just the right time so that grapes are fully ripe but retain acidity and moderate alcohol levels, along with choosing sites on well-draining gravelly loam soils that experience a large diurnal shift. In the cellar she simply tries to stay out of the way and let the wines develop themselves, with a gentle touch that allows a vivacious energy and harmony to come through in the finished product. It's a true family affair at Corison, where Cathy’s husband William and daughters Grace and Rose are involved in many aspects of running the winery. Production is always on the smaller side, so today we are thrilled to be able to offer some of her beautiful 2021 Napa Cab, which is incredible now but will continue to evolve over the next ten to twenty years. 

Ridge Vineyards is a name that needs little introduction, as one of the largest farmers of organically certified grapes in Sonoma and the Santa Cruz Mountains. The area that would become Ridge's Monte Bello Vineyard was originally planted in the late 1800s when Osea Perrone cut terraced vineyards into the slopes of the Monte Bello Ridge and constructed what still stands as the winery’s production facility. It was in the early ‘60s that new owners Dave Bennion, Hew Crane, Charlie Rosen, and Howard Ziedler made the first Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine that would become Ridge’s flagship wine and one of the defining wines of the region, and in 1969 Paul Draper joined as winemaker. In addition to their dedication to organic farming, Ridge employs an approach they call “pre-industrial,” using native yeasts and no commercial enzymes or nutrients in the vineyards or cellar. The wines are consistently among the most highly regarded in the world, and in addition to the famed Monte Bello Cab they make an Estate Cab, which comes entirely from the Monte Bello Vineyard, and a Santa Cruz Mountains Cab which comes from Bates Ranch, Fellom Ranch, Monte Bello, and Vidovich Vineyards all in the Santa Cruz Mountains. While not a Cab, we've included their price-friendly Three Valleys Red, a blend of 71% Zinfandel, 16% Carignane, 9% Petite Sirah, 2% Mataro, 2% Alicante Bouschet from Sonoma County. Also included from the Santa Cruz Mountains are another historic estate, Mount Eden Vineyards, which was founded in 1945 and similarly employ a hand-off approach along with organic farming practices. Their 2019 Mount Eden Estate Cab is a monumental wine that can age fifteen to twenty years easily, and the 2019 Domaine Eden Cab is perfect for enjoying now while you wait!

To round out today’s cornucopia of Cabernet we have a special treat from Dunn Vineyards, another Napa stalwart that has a long history of producing outstanding Cab since Randy Dunn made his first Howell Mountain Cab in 1979. The vines sit at high elevation and have been farmed organically since 2016, with the current focus on increasing biodiversity and employing regenerative agriculture in the vineyard. The Howell Mountain is a benchmark wine that can age seemingly forever, and today we have a special offer on a three-vintage vertical which includes the vaunted 2018, the more open 2019, and the outstanding but still young 2021 vintages. These are all fantastic vintages for this wine and can age another twenty years easily, but the 2019 in particular is starting to show some of its delicious potential already. For earlier drinking the 2021 Napa Cab is outstanding and ready to go with a decant. We've also included the phenomenal Matthiasson 2021 Napa Cabernet from Steve and Jill Matthiasson, who we've written about in much more detail here. Lastly we've included one of our favorite value Cabs from Sonoma, the 2018 Pied a Terre Sonoma County Cab, as well as a more recent addition that sold out quickly the first time around but will be restocking later this month, the Florez 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon. -Jeff DiLorenzo

**Most Wines Arrive Next Week, Please Allow Until 10/22 for Pickup/Delivery**