California Cult Cabernets
It started with Heitz Martha`s Vineyard in the 70`s, a new fascination for trophy hunting, with the prey being stunning new game-changing boutique wines. In the 80`s, next came Grace Family Vineyards and Dalla Valle then Opus joined the party and within a six-month period over '95 & '96 five new wineries released their first vintage, Araujo, Bryant, Colgin, Harlan and Screaming Eagle. All were Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and were the visions of people who had made their money elsewhere (some with more staggering success than others). All were sold primarily by mailing list, not traditional distribution. And all were made in extremely low quantities, and coinciding with the Dot-Com boom in the valley they were released at audaciously high prices for the time...enter the original 'Cult Cabs'. Now, in 2026 these ultra-niche wines are still in furious demand, walking the tightrope between libation & commodity these iconic wines, whether it`s for investment purposes or personal gratification, should be bought on sight
2016 Colgin Cariad
100 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - "The 2016 Cariad Proprietary Red Wine is blended of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it has wonderful purity of black fruits—preserved plums, blackcurrants and black raspberries—with nuances of iron ore, crushed rocks, fertile loam, cedar chest and tobacco leaf. Full-bodied, concentrated, muscular and built like a brick house, it has very firm, grainy tannins and refreshing acidity, finishing incredibly long and mineral. This should be very, very long lived. Drink through 2055." (LPB)
1996 Bryant Family Vineyard
98 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - "Tasted at the winery from magnum, the mature 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon shows some garnet at the rim but is still nicely colored and impressively dark at the center. Scents of cherries and dried cherries are joined by hints of leather, mint, cigar box and chocolate—it smells lovely and evolved, like a mature Napa Cab should. In the mouth, it's full-bodied, soft and voluptuous, with a long, mouth-coating finish. Made by Helen Turley at the Napa Wine Company, from vines averaging just five years of age, it's a terrific wine that's still drinking well (at least from magnum) but should be consumed over the next several years." (JC)
2015 Tusk
Graileys Tasting Notes - "The 2015 Tusk Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a profoundly layered and impeccably sculpted Napa Cabernet, offering waves of crème de cassis, blackberry liqueur and dark cherry alongside notes of mocha, espresso, Christmas spice and eucalyptus. Remarkably dense yet effortlessly polished, it combines immense concentration with a sleek, almost weightless texture, revealing compact power, superb tension and exceptional finesse. Deep, brooding and beautifully structured, the finish lingers with seamless purity and sophistication, underscoring why Tusk has become one of Napa Valley’s most coveted cult estates."
2021 Hundred Acre Ark
100 Points Decanter - "This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Jayson Woodbridge is dynamic, complex, and downright pleasure-packed and one of the stars of the show from his lineup of 2021 wines I tasted in September of 2024. It bursts out of the glass with pure ruby fruit, white truffle, white pepper, black cherry liqueur, and spiced plums layered with delicate cedarwood notes. Full-bodied with the purest of raspberry and blackberry fruit, the wine is framed by a foundation of ultrafine-grained tannins and profound depth on the mid-palate. Nuances of cigar box, saddle leather, and vanilla weave a lattice work around the fruit character, complemented by umami-rich saline minerals. Incredibly precise and pure, it’s further enhanced by blood orange acidity and a zesty, smoky quality, finishing with a hint of salted pink Himalayan sea salt. Just 4.8 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon vines are planted on this 18.21-hectare property, located on the steep southeast-facing slopes of Glass Mountain in St. Helena. It was purchased in 1999 and’s also home to Woodbridge’s underground Ring winery and caves." (JC)
