Napa Valley : cabernets de coteau, maisons historiques et vins cultes
48 bouteilles, du cabernet de vallée aux crus de coteauA ripe, dense Cabernet, aged in barrel and built for the cellar: this is what the Napa Valley has been bottling ever since Stag's Leap Wine Cellars' S.L.V. 1973 beat the great Bordeaux wines at the Judgement of Paris in 1976. Some fifty kilometres, from the cool bay in the south to the heat of Calistoga.
Here you will find the founding houses (Heitz Cellar, Far Niente, Duckhorn), the hillside crus (Dalla Valle, Ovid, Ink Grade), Bond's Cabernets, as well as Merlot, Chardonnay and a sweet wine.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars - Artemis 2020
A Cabernet Sauvignon from one of the largest estates in California
Far Niente - Chardonnay 2023
A rich, elegant and beautifully balanced Chardonnay
Duckhorn - Chardonnay 2021
A rich and suave Chardonnay from the cool corners of Napa Valley
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars - Karia 2021
Un chardonnay de Napa qui joue la fraîcheur citronnée sur une texture crémeuse.
Postmark - Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Napa Cabernet in its straightforward style: ripe blackcurrant and polished tannins.
Far Niente - Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
This magnificent Cabernet Sauvignon is considered one of the best in Napa
Duckhorn - Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Pamplemousse, lime et notes herbacées, un blanc tendu que la rondeur équilibre.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars - Cask 23 2020
Stag's Leap's top wine: a Cabernet made for twenty years in the cellar.
Silver Oak - Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
A legendary Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars - Hands Of Time 2018
L'entrée en matière de Stag's Leap, souple et fruitée, à ouvrir sans attendre.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars - SLV 2020
The vintage that beat the most Bordeaux blind at the 1976 Judgment of Paris
Duckhorn - Merlot "Three Palms" 2019
One of the most famous Merlots in Napa Valley
Duckhorn - Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
One of the benchmark Cabernet Sauvignons in Napa Valley
Dolce - Late Harvest 2014
Un liquoreux de Napa né sur pourriture noble, abricot confit, miel et caramel.
Bella Union - Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
The union of 2 extraordinary Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards, this is the first wine made by Belle Union.
Duckhorn - Merlot 2022
Le merlot qui a fait la réputation de Duckhorn, prune, chocolat et cuir en fond.
Twomey - Merlot Napa Valley
Le merlot velouté de Napa, cerise et chocolat, sans la moindre aspérité.
Timeless - Napa Valley 2019
Un rouge de Napa dense, marqué par le cèdre et le tabac, qui gagne à vieillir.
Staglin Family Vineyard - Salus Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
A Cabernet Sauvignon with great aromatic depth
Staglin Family Vineyard - Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
The great vintage of Domaine Staglin
Nickel & Nickel - John Sullenger Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Un cabernet d'Oakville né sur douze hectares argilo-limoneux, dix-huit mois sous chêne français.
Heitz Cellar - Trailside Vineyard 2018
A precise and classic Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon, combining freshness, structure, and aromatic depth.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars - FAY 2020
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars has created a grandiose vintage, from a historic plot
Nickel & Nickel - CC Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Single-varietal Rutherford: blackcurrant and wild raspberry on polished tannins.
D'Oakville à Howell Mountain, ce que change le lieu
The valley floor gives broad Cabernets, the hillsides tighter, fresher wines.
| Secteur | Sol et climat | Wine style | In the cellar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakville | Alluvial gravels at the foot of the Mayacamas; hot days, nights cooled by the bay | Cassis mûr, tanins amples, note mentholée à Martha's Vineyard | Heitz Cellar Martha's Vineyard 2018aussi Far Niente, Silver Oak, Dalla Valle |
| Rutherford | Le Rutherford Bench : graviers et limons bien drainés, chaleur régulière | La « Rutherford dust » : tanins poudrés, cerise noire, terre sèche | Staglin Estate 2019aussi Bella Union, Elizabeth Spencer, Heitz Trailside |
| Stags Leap District | Falaises volcaniques, sols caillouteux, brise de l'après-midi venue de la baie | Red and black fruit, silky tannins, an iron fist in a velvet glove | Stag's Leap Wine Cellars S.L.V. 2020aussi FAY, Cask 23, Artemis, Pine Ridge |
| St. Helena et Spring Mountain | Narrow, warm valley; volcanic soils on the slopes of the Mayacamas | Fruit noir généreux sur le plancher, grain serré et fraîcheur en altitude | Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon 2020aussi Heitz Cellar, Bond Quella et Pluribus |
| Howell Mountain | Plateau au-dessus du brouillard, dès 425 m ; tufs volcaniques pauvres | Tanins fermes, fruit noir concentré, longue garde | Ink Grade Cabernet Sauvignon 2019aussi Ink Grade Andosol |
| Pritchard Hill | Coteaux de l'est au-dessus du lac Hennessey, de 250 à 600 m ; roche volcanique | Structure dense, cacao, fruit noir mûr, texture veloutée | Ovid Hexameter 2017also Bond Melbury, on the hills above the lake |
| Coombsville | In the south-east, volcanic ash from an ancient caldera, cooling from the bay | White wine country in our cellar: taut, pure, finely textured Chardonnay | Haynes Corazon 2021also the grapes for Far Niente Chardonnay |
| Carneros et Calistoga | Carneros au sud, venté et frais ; Calistoga au nord, chaud le jour | Chardonnay et sauvignon tendus à Carneros, merlot charnu vers Calistoga | Shafer Red Shoulder Ranch 2022aussi Duckhorn Three Palms, près de Calistoga |
Cuvées that blend several districts, such as Postmark, Paraduxx or Timeless, carry the Napa Valley label, the appellation that covers them all. Find the grape from every country on our Cabernet Sauvignon page.
What you get at each price tier
Le prix d'un Napa suit la rareté du vignoble et la durée de garde.
| Palier | What you get | Vin exemple | Prix |
|---|---|---|---|
| De 39 à 60 € | Cabernet in its most direct form: ripe fruit, discreet oak, to drink within three years | Postmark Cabernet Sauvignon 2021aussi Stag's Leap Hands of Time 2018 à 52,40 € | 39,60 € |
| De 60 à 100 € | The classics from the historic houses, five to ten years' ageing potential | Duckhorn Merlot 2022aussi Pine Ridge, 88 € la bouteille par lot de 2 | 73,20 € |
| De 100 à 200 € | Un vignoble unique, un long élevage en fût neuf, quinze ans de garde | Nickel & Nickel John Sullenger 2019aussi Silver Oak à 199,90 €, Artemis à 119,90 € | 189,90 € |
| De 200 à 300 € | The big names of Oakville and Stags Leap, twenty years in the cellar | Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon 2020aussi FAY à 239,90 €, S.L.V. à 295 € | 225 € |
| De 400 à 700 € | Hillside crus and rare labels, produced in small quantities | Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon 2018aussi Cask 23 à 440 €, Ovid à 660 € | 492 € |
| Plus de 1 000 € | The cult wines: one Cabernet per vineyard, signed by Bill Harlan's house | Bond St. Eden2018 et 2019 à 1 045 €, 2021 à 1 112 € | 1 045 € |
| Magnum et demi-bouteille | The magnum for ageing, the half-bottle for a sweet wine | Silver Oak Napa Valley 2017 en magnumaussi Far Niente à 440 €, Dolce 37,5 cl à 129,40 € | 429 € le magnum |
To stay under €100, the price filter on this page does the sorting: Napa wines under €100.
A Napa for every occasion
Une bouteille par envie, du premier cabernet de la vallée au vin de collection.
Découvrir le cabernet de Napa
Cassis mûr et tanins polis, le style de la vallée en version directe, à ouvrir sur une viande grillée.
Postmark Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 · 39,60 € la bouteilleFor Merlot lovers
The grape that made Duckhorn: plum, chocolate, a hint of leather, a supple texture for roast duck.
Duckhorn Merlot 2022 · 73,20 € la bouteilleA Napa Chardonnay for the table
Grapes from Coombsville, the cool corner of the valley: a rich, balanced white for chicken in a cream sauce.
Far Niente Chardonnay 2023 · 119,90 € la bouteilleA fresh white for aperitifs
Grapefruit, lime and herbaceous notes: a taut Sauvignon for aperitifs and seafood.
Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc 2022 · 42 € la bouteilleA sweet wine for dessert
Noble rot, candied apricot, honey and caramel: a 37.5 cl half-bottle for foie gras.
Dolce Late Harvest 2014 · 129,40 € la demi-bouteilleA magnum for a big gathering
Le cabernet soyeux de Stags Leap en grand format, qui vieillit lentement et sert une douzaine de verres.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Artemis 2020 · 220 € le magnumUne bouteille d'histoire à offrir
The cuvée whose 1973 vintage beat the Bordeaux wines at the Judgement of Paris, a gift with a story to tell.
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars S.L.V. 2020 · 295 € la bouteilleA cult wine for collectors
Un cabernet de vignoble unique à Oakville, signé par la maison de Bill Harlan, sur plusieurs millésimes.
Bond St. Eden · 1 045 € la bouteille (2018 et 2019)
Paying for what Napa does best
Napa comes at a price, and the price can be explained: an acre in the valley is among the most expensive in the wine world, yields stay low and ageing in new barrels is costly. That price buys one precise thing: ripeness. The Californian sun takes Cabernet to a level of fruit the Médoc reaches only in its great years, and the oak gives that fruit a structure to last twenty years.
The style has its fans and its detractors. We choose the cuvées where freshness holds the ripeness in check: Stags Leap for silkiness, Howell Mountain for tension, Martha's Vineyard for its minty note. A Napa is judged at ten years old; young, it mostly shows its oak.
Comment on choisit
Every bottle is tasted before it enters our cellar. We look for a Cabernet whose acidity carries the ripe fruit, oak melted into the wine rather than sitting on top of it, and a finish that lingers. We keep the historic houses for their consistency, and the hillsides (Howell Mountain, Pritchard Hill, Spring Mountain) for those who prefer a tauter Napa.
L'équipe du Baroudeur du Vin
Ce qu'on nous demande sur la Napa Valley
Which Napa district should you choose for a Cabernet?
Oakville and Rutherford, in the centre of the valley, produce the most classic Cabernets: ripe blackcurrant, broad tannins, a minty or earthy note. Stags Leap District brings a silkier grain, Howell Mountain and Pritchard Hill a firmer structure, born of altitude and volcanic soils. The districts table pairs each one with an available cuvée.
Why are Napa wines expensive?
Land prices are among the highest in the world, yields stay low and ageing is often done in new barrels. There are nevertheless some fine entry points: the Postmark Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 at €39.60 or the Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc 2022 at €42. See Napa wines under €100.
Qu'est-ce que le Jugement de Paris ?
A blind tasting held in Paris in 1976 by the wine merchant Steven Spurrier. Up against the great growths of Bordeaux, the French jury ranked Stag's Leap Wine Cellars' S.L.V. 1973, the estate's first commercial vintage, top of the reds. The cuvée still exists: the S.L.V. 2020 is €295 a bottle.
Combien de temps garder un cabernet de Napa ?
An entry-level Cabernet is best drunk within three to five years. Far Niente or Silver Oak benefit from eight to fifteen years, Martha's Vineyard, Cask 23 or Dalla Valle twenty years or more. A magnum slows down evolution: the Silver Oak 2017 in 1.5 L is €429.
Quelle différence entre Napa et Sonoma ?
The two valleys are neighbours, separated by the Mayacamas Mountains. Napa, warmer and sheltered, has specialised in Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux blends. Sonoma, larger and open to the Pacific fogs, shines with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Zinfandel. To compare, see our Sonoma and Mendocino page.
Napa produit-elle d'autres vins que du cabernet ?
Yes. Duckhorn built its reputation on Merlot (Three Palms 2019 at €139.90). Coombsville and Carneros produce taut Chardonnays, such as the Haynes Corazon 2021 at €254, and Dolce makes a noble-rot sweet wine. All the whites are on our white wine page.
What food should you serve with a Napa Cabernet?
Its ripeness and tannins call for grilled or roast red meat: rib of beef, duck breast, leg of lamb with herbs. A well-aged Comté also suits it. For a young vintage, decant for an hour; for a wine over ten years old, open it just before serving and serve it at around 17 °C.
Pourquoi certaines bouteilles se vendent-elles par lot de 2 ?
A few cuvées are sold only in pairs, such as the Pine Ridge Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, at €88 a bottle, and the Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Aveta Sauvignon Blanc 2023, at €55.40 a bottle. The price shown is always for one bottle, to make comparison easy.