2013 Palladian Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

Estate Napa Cab Aged in Used Scarecrow Barrels 

From the base of Howell Mountain, a few minutes walk from Meadowood, Palladian’s David Mahaffey lavishes meticulous care and attention on his Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon—the one single estate-grown red he produces each year. Culled from three acres in the prestigious St. Helena AVA—grown across the street from Harlan’s Napa Reserve vines—the 2013 Palladian Reserve Napa Cabernet is a sleeper hit among locals in the region; the wines have even ended up on the list at Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc nearby. Celia Welch lends used Scarecrow wine barrels to Mahaffey for aging. The result is a balanced, classically-structured Cabernet endowed with aromas of graphite, cedar, cigar box and violets, bolstered by fine-grained tannins. Not yet released, perfectly cellared, and available ONLY at Wine Access. At $49.99 per bottle, without a doubt one of the best values in Napa. 56 cases. Shipping included on 3.

In the 1980s San Francisco shipping magnate David Jones and his wife Sandy set out to fulfill their fantasy of building an English-style country estate and settled on lush Napa Valley as the locale. In particular, they chose a prime patch of land just east of Silverado Trail, near world-famous neighbors like Harlan Estate. Vines were planted in 1997 on the lower foothills at the base of Howell Mountain, where a uniquely cooler microclimate would help grapes maintain their lively freshness and acidity, often calling to mind Left Bank Bordeaux reds.

After years of selling fruit, Palladian began releasing their own wines with a debut vintage in 2013 under veteran winemaker David Mahaffey. The Joneses and Mahaffey were in agreement about the kind of wine they wanted to put out: small-production, crafted in elegant Bordelais style, using traditional, artisanal if time-intensive techniques.

Farming is done organically without pesticides and by hand, with nary a tractor to be seen. Wildflowers bloom between the rows of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc vines, which wrap around the north side of Meadowood. Weeds are removed via hoe. Every vintage is picked three or four times for ripeness, with careful attention paid to canopy management.

But where Mahaffey’s signature really comes through is in the vinification process. Berries are crushed gently, then added to an open-topped fermenter, which helps some of the alcohol to blow off. From there, the young wine is aged in French oak barrels—sourced from Celia Welch at Scarecrow—for two years in the cellar. Releases are then held back at least another two years so that by the time they hit the market, these garnet-hued beauties are already opening up. Excepting today, this 2013 hasn’t yet left the cool Palladian winery cellars.