AXR Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2019

Double 97-point Napa cabernet sauvignons, especially crafted by winemaker Jean Hoefliger, usually shatter the $150+ ceiling. But we know a guy, who knows a guy...and so, myriad handshakes later, VIOLA! This super-limited Napa cabernet sauvignon from the remarkable 2019 vintage can be yours for only $69.95!

AXR is a relatively new endeavor that took on the historic V Madrone property tucked into the western Napa hillsides just north of the town of St. Helena. The project is a partnership of three friends, all captains of industry who made their mark in international business and strategic investments over long and successful careers. This is their “we earned it” passion project, and they were sage enough to invite another partner to the project – 100-point wine-making rockstar Jean Hoefliger. Together, they adopted the rather dubious name “AXR” – the rootstock hybrid planted throughout Napa Valley that was decimated by phylloxera in the early 1980s. What most saw as a disaster, and a sad bit of Napa history best left undiscussed, these entrepreneurs brought into the limelight. After all, the replanting of nearly 85% of Napa Valley in under a decade changed the wine industry forever – cabernet sauvignon became far and away Napa’s most dominant planting, new orientations of rows were considered on established sites, new trellising techniques became popular, and consideration of vineyard diseases and rootstock/clonal diversity became important like never before. Napa took the punch and came back better than ever – in many ways because of AXR.

This 100% cabernet sauvignon blends fruit from distinct vineyard sites in Napa – including Yountville’s revered Sleeping Lady Vineyard, as well as Denali and the V Madrone estate in Saint Helena, and some Ballard fruit from up on Spring Mountain. This is lush, velvety, inky, and rich cabernet – oozing with ripe red plums, sticky blackberries, and cool blueberries. The fruit is layered with dark chocolate shavings, cinnamon, buttered toast, Tellicherry pepper, and roasted sage. Sumptuous and decadent – this glides across the tongue, coating the palate with silky tannins and a decidedly long finish that whispers with an undercurrent of iron-laden minerality. Just polished and classic Napa cabernet that is showing brilliantly in its youth. This is the BEST PRICE ANYWHERE on this new release, and something that belongs in any Napa-loving cellar...or better still – on your dinner table tonight!