2015 Kahler Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Atlas Peak Napa Valley 750 ml

There are few places in Napa where it is harder or more expensive to plant vines than the rugged slopes of Atlas Peak. While scaring off gentlemen farmers, these high-altitude, volcanic soils have bewitched mavericks like 100 point-winemaker and Screaming Eagle alum Heidi Barrett and “The Judge” legend John Kongsgaard, who bought his property here back in 2004. Pricing usually limits Atlas Peak wines to the high-flying collector set: Barrett’s Au Sommet releases and Kongsgaard’s stunning Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignons run for $250 per bottle, minimum. 
 
This bottle’s pitch-perfect evocation of Atlas Peak terroir—with its plush aromas of blackberries, black raspberry, and violets and backbone of dusty tannins—put us in mind of our first field trip up to the mountain’s jagged side. It was a ride-along with winemaker Barb Spelletich, who was crafting a very small cuvée of Cabernet Sauvignons off the mountain, which at that point had not even been an official AVA for that long.
 
As we went winding along Atlas Peak Road, we got a master class in what makes the region’s wines so special. Volcanic eruptions gave the soil its character and reddish hue; volcanic rocks are porous, making the land well-draining but also low in fertility, stressing the vines and forcing them to struggle. That limits yields, resulting in the singular intensity of these wines, each note perfectly articulated. High elevations mean more direct sunlight, leading to deep, rich pigments and power. Drastic temperature changes and bruising winds make ripening slow, creating incredible complexity, with harvest often coming weeks after the valley floor.
 
We got out of the car to inspect a few rows of vines. Those were hardscrabble days for us in wine sourcing, a time when we were forced to learn how to do more with a smaller purse. Nothing would have helped our portfolio more than a few of Spelletich’s voluminous Atlas Peak Cabs, which were almost certainly outside our price range. Still….

“Could you do it for $40 per bottle?” we asked, doing our best poker face while squinting into the sun. After a pensive moment, she laughed, we laughed, and we got back in the car and drove back down the mountain.
 
We hadn’t thought of this day for years until we got a call last week from Barb’s daughter, Kristen Kahler, who runs Kahler Cellars. Making room in the cellar, they came across the last few cases of this magnificent 2015 Cabernet. At first they thought they’d keep it for themselves, but on second thought—and with a smile—Barb decided to offer the Atlas Peak jewels to us on the terms we had half-seriously proposed so long ago.
 
We accepted, passing the incredible savings on to you. Ask, and you shall receive.