2015 Halpin Barrel Select Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

There are times we regret taking calls from Halpin. Like years ago, when we were all together in Los Angeles, and he phoned us “from the back room at Valentino” with the owner who was “about to open an extremely rare, old bottle of Biondi-Santi Brunello” (one of three remaining in the world) and we “had to be there.” We bolted out of bed, dressed, and started down Pico in the rental car. Then, Halpin called back: “Suckers!” The whole time he’d been in his room at the hotel, down the hall, watching re-runs of SNL.  

But most of the time, we know that a call from Halpin means good things are coming. This time Halpin pulled some real strings—going to the source of an old Wine Access favorite for Nichols and Chad, a site that has earned numerous compliments from Robert Parker, who has suggested their flagship Cabernet has a “French Right Bank Pomerol feel.” 

Over the years, those Chad and Nichols wines have racked up an astounding 4,655 4-star and 2,248 5-star ratings. At $30 and down to $25 on cases, this is a dynamite rendition of two old favorites—one of Halpin’s finest efforts—its supple and fleshy texture, rich, dark fruits, and sumptuous French oak spices make it dangerously easy to drink.

The 2015 Halpin Barrel Select Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is an instant classic.

The phone call from Halpin about today’s Cabernet came in a little more than a year ago. It was around 4:30 p.m. on a Wednesday. Halpin was calling from the Charter Oak restaurant in St. Helena, California. He said we should swing by, but we were exhausted from a long week tasting up and down Oregon’s Willamette Valley. He lured us to join him by mentioning that Michelin-three-star chef Chris Kostow of Meadowood fame was actually working the kitchen that evening. 

So, we obliged, and by the end of the night—by the end of most evenings with Halpin—it was worth it. When we passed through the heavy curtains at Charter Oak’s entrance, we found Halpin, holding court at the communal table. 

Some 15 of his closest pals were spread out around the table nosing glasses, some spilling over to the bar. At the center, rather unnoticed by the group, were a couple of 100-point winemakers speaking in low tones in their native French language. There was a writer from the San Francisco Chronicle nursing a glass at one end, surrounded by a few adoring fans. 

Halpin gave us a jubilant warm welcome—maybe a bit too loud—and ushered us to a spot directly opposite the journalist. Halpin said nice things about Wine Access as he introduced us, but the writer claimed he hadn’t heard of us. It was a snub—plain as day.

“I bet you’re Pinot-ed out,” Halpin suggested, and handed us a glass of Cabernet. “It’s not Insignia, but it is my 2015 Barrel Select, so don’t confuse the two, okay?” he quipped. “I hand-selected 12 barrels out of 30 for this Cab, and, not surprisingly, most of the juice is from St. Helena, with a smattering of grapes from select sites back toward Napa. After 20 months in oak, it’s seamless. See for yourself,” he said and headed for the kitchen. 

How did the Chronicle writer like Halpin’s Cabernet? It was clear he’d had more than a few glasses—the rosy cheeks and slow, shifting eyes were easy giveaways. We sat, quiet and polite, nosing, sipping, smiling occasionally.  

We didn’t bother breaking the news that it would be the last time he enjoyed a glass of that 2015 Halpin Barrel Select. Why? Well, if he “hadn't heard of us,” then he wasn’t on our list and certainly wasn’t reading our daily missives. And after one taste, we knew we’d be writing Halpin a check that night for the whole lot—all 12 barrels produced, which is exactly what we did. We took it all.

At the close of the evening, we offered a toast: “Here’s to more nights nursing a glass of 'Halpin’s Insignia-lookalike,'” thinking not of the rosy-cheeked writer, but of the Wine Access readers, wine lovers, savvy collectors, and Cabernet enthusiasts who would have the chance to lock into bottles. After a year in our temperature-controlled warehouse, it is singing—see for yourself.