2014 Luscher-Ballard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

When filmmakers Christina Lüscher-Ballard and Carroll Ballard bought a struggling walnut orchard atop Spring Mountain, they were just looking for a secluded home—but they ended up with some of Napa Valley’s most coveted mountain terroir. 

Spring Mountain rises more than 2000 feet above St. Helena, and its hillsides are layered with well-drained volcanic soils. Cabernet vines planted on steep terraces sit above the fog line, and through the growing season they enjoy warmer nights and cooler days than their valley-floor counterparts. 

Luscher Ballard sits at the very top of this Cabernet paradise. Spring Mountain’s peak actually resides on their property, a piece of land that epitomizes Napa’s mountain terroir. It’s partially why John Kongsgaard—one of California’s most revered and innovative winemakers—offered to craft the Lüscher-Ballard wine at his Atlas Peak winery. Backed by his peerless talent, Lüscher-Ballard turns out Cabs of supreme boldness and intensity. 

Prominent winemakers have been trekking up Napa’s mountains since the middle of the 20th century to plant the region’s signature grape, all chasing Cabernets just like this. Dynamic and bold, the wine’s aromas of black cherry, lavender, and roasted espresso preview a palate with layer upon layer of fruit and spice. It’s a perfect mix of rusticity, powerful tannins, and fresh acidity that you’ll scarcely find elsewhere in Napa. 

A tiny-production affair, the estate never makes more than 200 cases. Until he left in 2016, Kongsgaard put their bottles through an extensive aging regimen: 22 months in French oak, plus a minimum of two years in bottle. This 2014, after several years in the cellar, has evolved into a wonderfully complex Cabernet, and one that will continue to yield rewards over the next decade.