2013 Leto Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Hidden One St. Helena Napa Valley 750 ml

Single-Vineyard Cab from Game Changing Vintage

Nowadays in Napa Valley, the under-$50 Cabernet Sauvignon—no matter the vintage, no matter the vineyard—is a rarity. Which makes the 2013 Leto Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon “The Hidden One” from the St. Helena AVA a bona fide unicorn: a 100% Cabernet from a single-vineyard source, grown in the “game-changer” vintage of 2013! Inky purple, with a nose that blooms with a little air, showing black and blue fruits, mocha, vanilla, and pipe tobacco. Released at $85, just $39.99 on 5 or more bottles at Wine Access.  

Brad and Lisa Warner, the team behind Leto Cellars, are Napa wine lifers whose CVs boast some of the bedrock names of California wine: Brad spent years at Charles Krug, and they both worked at Robert Mondavi. Now, as proprietors, the prefer to partner with small, independent growers. As Napa veterans who know the lay of the land, they know exactly where to look for top-quality fruit.

“The Hidden One” is sourced entirely from St. Helena’s Varozza Vineyard, which has been owned by the Varozza family for over a century. Dry-farmed, hand-picked Cabernet Sauvignon is aged for 22 months in French oak, and then rested more than two years in bottle. Many wineries’ Cabernets from Robert Parker’s 98-point “extraordinary” 2013 vintage are a mere memory, but Leto releases theirs when they feel they are ready to drink. If you thought you had missed out on the vintage of the century, this is your reprieve. They made just 200 cases and our allocation is a lot smaller than that, so don’t let this one get by at 53% off the release price!

The Varozza Vineyard on Pratt Avenue in St. Helena is a pristine 38-acre parcel that has been owned by the Varozza family for more than a century, and planted in its soils are some of the oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines in Napa Valley. Dry-farmed and sustainably managed by Jack Varozza—who lives on the property with his wife Dianna—fruit from this historic vineyard can be found in stellar Napa Cabernets by Bell and Gamble.

Leto prefers to release their wines when they are ready to drink, which is why their mere 200 cases of 2013 are just emerging from the cellar. Even after a streak of stellar vintages, 2013 is still known as one of the best ever in Napa Valley, and this hand-picked, dry-farmed Cabernet is ready to rock right now: Inky purple, with a nose that blooms with a little air, showing black and blue fruits, mocha, vanilla, and pipe tobacco. Firm, chewy tannins and a sweet and savory spice finish. Just when you thought the new releases of ‘13s were long gone, here’s a beauty at a fantastic price. Don’t miss it.