2015 CFV Bambino E Mamma Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

America’s Hottest Winemaker pairs Cabernet with a legendary Chef

When he’s not filming Top Chef or behind the stove at Yountville’s award-winning Bottega Restaurant, chef Michael Chiarello loves nothing more than to tend to his 20 acres of sustainably farmed vineyards. Today, you get the first crack at this sumptuous Napa Cabernet Sauvignon just released from Chiarello Family Vineyards, crafted by America’s “hottest winemaker,” 100-point author Thomas Rivers Brown.

To assemble this deep-purple beauty, Brown and chef/vintner Michael Chiarello blended pristine fruit from St. Helena. The result is an intense, mouthwatering release, offering deep aromas of violets and spice, chocolate-rich on the palate, and showing tremendous aging potential. It’s near impossible to find a Napa Cabernet of this caliber for less than $70, and supply is low.

Years ago while roaming over his estate, Chiarello made a stunning discovery: the long-neglected grapevines, planted nearly a century before, were still alive. Inspired by their resilience, he vowed to revive them and has succeeded in spades. To rekindle their vigor, he employed the services of two of Napa’s most sought-after hands: winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown (blue-chip consultant for Maybach, Revana, Schrader, and others) and Amigo Bob Cantisano, a ninth-generation Californian and pioneer of organic farming.

Brown is renowned as one of the country’s top winemakers, recently appearing on the cover of Wine Spectator for his widespread influence in California, but he has a special reputation as a master of cultivating old vines. Together with Brown and Amigo Bob, Chiarello was able to revive the century-old Petit Sirah and Zinfandel, using a mix of head pruning and dry farming. Soon Chiarello’s winery was booming, as the wines turned up on the critics’ radars almost immediately, winning “Editor’s Pick” honors from Wine Spectator and “Top Ten Bottle in Napa” status from Food & Wine magazine.

In 2015, Chiarello put out one of his most voluptuous releases yet. This bottle captures the vintage’s essence—flirting with hedonism while maintaining graceful balance—at half the price of the competition.