Any time is a good time to enjoy a properly made Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. However, there are occasions in life when reaching for your favorite cost-effective “everyday” Napa Cab simply won’t do. Celebrating a milestone birthday, a new job promotion, or an anniversary demands something much more than the same bottle you open every Thursday night before you settle in and catch up on your favorite TV shows.
A Napa Cab worthy of these special occasions usually carries a special-occasion price tag. But a more expensive wine doesn’t necessarily guarantee an elevated tasting experience. This can make picking the right wine to splurge on a challenge if you’re accustomed to routinely enjoying more cost-effective bottles. After all, spending extra money on a wine that ultimately disappoints can add a touch of heartbreak to an otherwise stellar situation.
Fortunately, a trusted sommelier can help you steer clear of these unfortunate scenarios. With that in mind, we asked nine wine pros to name one Napa Cab that’s actually worth the splurge. Here’s what they had to say.
The Napa Cabs worth the splurge, according to sommeliers:
- Heitz Cellar Linda Falls Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
- Di Costanzo Di Co Cabernet Sauvignon
- Di Costanzo Caldwell Cabernet Sauvignon
- Cabernet Sauvignons made with grapes from To Kalon Vineyard
- Schrader Heritage Clone Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
- Forman Cabernet Sauvignon
- ALH Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville 2022
- Detert Family Cabernet Sauvignon
- Brown Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
- Revana Estate Icon Series ‘Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon
- Orin Swift Palermo Cabernet Sauvignon
- Pahlmeyer Jayson Cabernet Sauvignon
“Heitz Cellar 2018 Linda Falls Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s a single-vineyard, certified organic and biodynamic, 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon from the excellent Howell Mountain AVA. It’s aged for three years in a combination of new and used French oak. The 2018 vintage grapes were harvested later in the season, adding some additional richness. This wine goes great with a grilled steak or roasted eggplant.” —Dustin Lynn, beverage director, Florence by the Water at Hotel Figueroa, Los Angeles
“This is serious for me because I’m not the biggest fan of Cabernet Sauvignon. Enter Massimo and Erin Di Costanzo of Di Costanzo. The former winemaker at Screaming Eagle, Massimo’s approach is all about the soil. I pour their Di Co as my-by-the-glass because when I blind-tasted it, I could see Massimo’s hands in the dirt. There’s this complexity and arresting grip it has on the open, and it softens day by day. My personal favorite of his is the Caldwell Vineyard single-vineyard Cabernet from Coombsville. It’s like a satin, red-fruited, wood-burning stovetop dream.” —Loris Anne Jones-Randolph, wine director, Nerano, Beverly Hills, Calif.
“For a definitive splurge, I recommend wines sourced from the historic To Kalon Vineyard in Oakville. Established in 1868 by H.W. Crabb, the site is renowned for its well-draining alluvial soils, significant diurnal temperature shifts, and exceptional clonal diversity. An impressive example of what To Kalon can produce is the 2021 Schrader Heritage Clone Cabernet Sauvignon. Produced by Schrader Cellars, this wine showcases the unique properties of Clone 31 from a specific block in the To Kalon Vineyard. Because this clone produces exceptionally small berries, the resulting wine possesses a profound intensity characterized by concentrated fruit and remarkable structural integrity.” —Kisong Mun, sommelier, The Dearborn, Chicago
“It’s no secret Napa Cabs have become a bit crazy in pricing, especially when you compare them to the great wines of the world. That said, Forman Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the best. While not insanely priced like many Napa Cabs are, it is what I look for in a Cab: balanced, not over-oaked, not over- extracted — the alcohol is in check — and age-worthy. When you have a winemaker with over 50 vintages under his belt like Ric Forman does, you have a winemaker and grape grower who knows what the hell he is doing.” —Kenny Koda, sommelier, The National, Telluride, Colo.
“My pick is the 2022 ALH Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville, the inaugural release from Agustina Hobbs, daughter of [noted winemaker] Paul Hobbs. This is a wine that feels both deeply rooted and forward-looking. Sourced from select blocks of the Nathan Coombs Estate, it captures the cool, volcanic character of southern Coombsville with remarkable clarity. The wine opens with ripe red and black cherry, mulberry, and fresh raspberry, layered with baking spice, violet, and savory notes of sagebrush and thyme. Fine-grained tannins and vibrant acidity give it lift and precision, making it exceptionally food-friendly now, while the structure promises graceful aging over the next decade. What makes it splurge-worthy is its balance of pedigree and restraint — polished but not heavy, expressive without excess.” —Jordyn Sotelo, sommelier, Trino, Chicago
“I will always splurge for a bottle of Detert Family Cabernet Sauvignon. Since trying my first bottle many years ago, I have always enjoyed the expression of Oakville fruit and terroir that comes through in this wine. Whenever I splurge on a bottle, I know it will always show the beautifully balanced and classic flavors of Cabernet Sauvignon: red cherry, currant, and cocoa, to name a few. Sharing a bottle and creating new memories with friends and family is always worth the splurge. There is only a tiny amount produced each year. If you ever see it on a wine list or in your local wine shop, I highly recommend ordering or buying it.” —Patrick Kirchen, wine director, Napa Rose, Anaheim, Calif.
“When I think about a wine splurge, my mind jumps straight to Brown Estate. They are primarily a Zinfandel producer. However! They do produce a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon across four bottlings. After the wildfires in 2020, several Cabernet vines were lost and the family was forced to scale down their Cabernet production, but the quality has not wavered. The 2021 Brown Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a story of perseverance that is worth the splurge for an amazing bottle. It reminds me of a perfect quart of blackberries from the farmers market that you enjoy on the first day but inevitably make into a cobbler with a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg.” —Francisco Joseph, sommelier, Sifr, Chicago
“Revana Icon Series Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard. There’s something special about enjoying a wine that is quite as exclusive as this. The wine comes with notes of dark fruit, cassis, chocolate, and earthy undertones. It pairs exceptionally well with dishes that carry strong flavors, such as blue cheese, beef, or mushrooms. If you’re a Napa Cabernet enthusiast or collector, I couldn’t recommend this bottle enough.” —Anna Emge, assistant general manager, Tamba, Las Vegas
“I have two. The first one is Orin Swift Palermo Cabernet. It is such a true expression of what we all think Napa Cab is: big and fruity with a tannin that won’t stay past its welcome. This is a Cab that feels like it was raised in Bordeaux and then went on a rebellious streak but doesn’t want to be disowned by its parents and still visits at the holidays. The second one is Pahlmeyer Jayson Cabernet Sauvignon. This is the real baller splurge. A fantastic earthy nose that continues to be interesting every time you drink it with a very tiny bit of sweetness at the end. A deep plush luxurious palate that gives way to a really well-defined tannic profile and finishes with campfire memories. This is a great wine if you want to step into something more expensive that you can still taste all of its facets.” —Ben Wald, head of beverage programming, The Flatiron Room, New York City
