2013 Foxglove Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 750 ml

2013 Foxglove Paso Robles: Antonio Galloni’s “One of the Truly Great Values in California Cabernet Sauvignon”

As The Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, and Antonio Galloni’s Vinous have reported, the 2013 growing season was sensational for California Cabernet Sauvignon. The second of four consecutive drought years on the coast, the spring was cool and dry, making for a healthy fruit set. Barely a drop of rain fell from June to August — down as much as 40% in Central Coast appellations. While daytime highs were above average in Paso Robles, remarkably, there were no significant heat spikes, making for a near-perfect vintage for broad-shouldered, powerfully structured Cabernet Sauvignon.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and Antonio Galloni’s Vinous rained high-flying reviews on the Central Coast elite, with a whopping forty-four 2013s earning 95 points or more. But, as was the case on Napa’s Highway 29, Paso Robles’ 2013 Cabernet Sauvignons are superb up and down the pricing ladder.

The typical knock on Paso Robles is that the excessive summer heat gives birth to big, port-like wines that lack the definition of Napa Valley. But 2013 is a startling exception to that rule. On our July trip to the region, we discovered a treasure trove of voluptuous, classically structured Cabernet Sauvignons, as well as the most extraordinary under-$20 bargains in the world — the most extraordinary of which was crafted by Jim and Bob Varner at Foxglove.

Don’t be confused by today’s price tag. When the Varners founded Foxglove, they did so with the full understanding they’d spend plenty of time sharpening pencils — overpaying for fruit while applying the same cellar protocol that’s netted the brothers 19 Wine Advocate 95- to 98-point reviews. As to this sensational new release, Antonio Galloni’s review says it all.

Antonio Galloni let loose like never before about a $15 California Cabernet Sauvignon, writing:

“The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the truly great values in California Cabernet Sauvignon. Plump, juicy and beautifully layered in the glass, the 2013 offers plenty of varietal fruit, savory herbs, tobacco and cedar. Aging in steel preserves considerable freshness. Dark cherry, plum and mocha wrap around the succulent finish.”

Galloni will get no argument from WineAccess.

$15/bottle? At least for the next 90 minutes or so. 200 cases are up for grabs. Shipping included on 6.