2015 Chad Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

Chad 101: Making Overachieving Cabernet

The St. Helena bench — it’s some of Napa’s most hallowed terroir, home to the likes of Hall, Alpha Omega, Corison, and more. Renowned for depth, opulence, and sheer hedonism, benchland wines aren’t shy in any way, including price. In that sense, Chad’s 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is an outlier. Sourced from precious St. Helena benchland sites — the same parcels that have yielded numerous Robert Parker standouts — the 2015 Napa Valley boasts ripeness, richness, and complexity on the level of an $100 bottle, at about a third of the cost. Read on to hear from Chad how this is possible, but first lock in a case. At $22.99 per bottle, 120 cases won’t last long.

When we met Chad on the patio at Oxbow in Napa, we could tell we were in for a treat — and a lecture. “The bulk market is something most people just don’t understand,” he explained. “They think, ‘Why would elite wineries let anyone make wine with their $100 bottle juice and sell it for less?’ Well, there are a million reasons. Maybe the vineyard had an exceptionally large fruit-set and they harvested more than they could bottle. Maybe they’re upgrading their cellar and need fast cash to cover costs. Maybe they have a lot of acreage but want to keep production small!”

“Ok, Chad. What’s this all about?” we replied.

“I’m doing a private tasting next week with some investors and I have to explain how Chad works.”  

“Maybe you should tone it down a little,” we counseled. “How’s the wine?”

“See for yourself,” he said. Then Chad poured us four ounces of deep-ruby Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose was exuberant and spicy, full of dark fruit, cedar, and rosemary. The palate, rich and juicy, with black cherry, boysenberry, and cassis accented by new-wood cedar and spice. Fine-grained tannins wrapped the ripe fruit core in a plush package. “Wow!” we exclaimed, “Where’s this from?”

“You know I can’t name names, but it’s a blue-chip Napa estate — all gorgeously ripe fruit from the St. Helena bench. And since I know you’re going to ask, the winery offered me a handful of barrels because they’re holding back another release. They want to give it more time in the cellar and need some cash to keep the lights on in the meantime!”

“Got it,” we replied. “Do yourself a favor, spare the other guys the lecture and just pour them the wine. It speaks for itself.”

We locked in as much of Chad’s 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley as we could, and it’s still not enough. Just 120 cases to go around. Secure your share of Chad’s overachieving 2015 before it’s gone.