2013 Nichols Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Napa Valley 750 ml

First Release: Britt Nichols’ 2013 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon

It’s a little known fact about the pricing of Napa Valley Cabernet. When purchasing fruit from the most prized vineyards in Rutherford, Oakville and St. Helena, buyers looking to include the vineyard name on their front label often must: a) have a history of making high-scoring wines, and b) pay a premium.

When we asked enologist Britt Nichols (formerly at Peter Michael) why she cannot disclose the vineyard source for this magnificent 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Nichols just shook her head. “First, this is my first Cabernet Sauvignon from Rutherford, so I have no track record. Second, the fruit’s already a fortune, so there’s no way I could afford a premium!”

In our view, relatively few Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons bear the signature of their maker. Based on her first releases, Nichols is one of them. For those of you have been feasting on Nichols’ 2012s, you’re fully acquainted with not only the enologist’s deft touch with the variety, but also with the flashiness and sleek polish of her wines. Several months ago, Nichols treated us to a dizzying lineup of 2013 Cabernet Sauvignons, the most extraordinary of which was drawn from an unnamed parcel “spitting distance from Caymus and Staglin.”

Wine Spectator described the 2013 growing season as “ideal.” Robert Parker spoke of the “laser-like” focus of the Cabernet Sauvignons, wines that are ultra-concentrated yet high structured, built for both short-term drinking and the (very) long haul. Then, in a followup vintage report, The Wine Advocate upped the ante, as Parker called 2013 “the Greatest Vintage I've Tasted in 37 Years.” Here’s why.

Bud break came early, thanks to a warm spring. Much like 2012, the summer was mild and exceedingly dry, yet berry size was smaller, with higher skin-to-juice ratio. In Rutherford, the call to harvest came very early, in the second week of August. “Sugars were already nearly 26 Brix,” Nichols told us as we sipped and swirled her black-fruit powerhouse, “but seeds were brown and acids firm. Both 2012 and 2013 were terrific vintages, but most of us see 2013 — due to the sumptuousness of the tannins — as the better of the two.”

The 2013 Nichols Cabernet Sauvignon is an instant classic. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Opaque purple in hue. The aromas feature a mouthwatering mix of blackberry, mountain blueberry, violets, and graphite, tinged with cedar. Plush, dense, and compact on the attack, soft yet chewy in texture, packed with black-fruit preserves and crème de cassis, finishing with superb, age-worthy backbone. Drink now for its youthful hedonism — if you’re utterly impatient — or do as we’re doing, and lay down Nichols’ finest effort to date until the early 2020s. It could surely use the rest.

Compared to $70. 720 bottles. 64% off. STRICTEST limit of one case per member. No exceptions!