2016 Chaix Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford 750 ml

You may not be familiar with Chaix Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa’s hallowed Rutherford appellation. That’s because their grapes usually hide under other labels, including: 

Joseph Phelps Insignia 

BV Private Reserve

Buoncristiani

Orin Swift 

Each one of these prestigious wines is well worth its triple-digit price tag, which shows the kind of brilliance Chaix can deliver. Their own 2016 Cab release is crafted from the same high-profile grapes—a deep and thoughtful wine with all the richness and charm of its high-profile peers.

The Chaix Family Vineyard is smack in the middle of prime Rutherford real estate, encompassing 37 acres of top-flight terroir near the vineyards of Napa giants like Inglenook and Scarecrow, which explains why their grapes are so prized among top-scoring winemakers. To get the most out of that esteemed terroir, they tapped Sam Baxter, the veteran winemaker at longtime Wine Access member-favorite Terra Valentine, and he delivered a knockout. 

We couldn’t be happier that Chaix started making their own wine, because this is an exceptional Cab even among its celebrated Napa counterparts. We knew it from the moment this wine stole our attention at a winemaker friend’s housewarming party. Our expectations rose as our friend Jim talked it up, but the first sip surpassed them anyway. Alongside charred cuts of Asado with chimichurri, time seemed to melt away around us, and soon the bottle was gone.

Jeb Dunnuck applauded this enchanting wine as a “totally charming, balanced Cabernet,” and we completely agree. In the glass, it captures the famous “Rutherford dust” essence and then some. Its aromas of violet and blackberry levitate from the glass before revealing rich layers of sweet tobacco and licorice. The palate lands with a savory charm, showcasing a tapestry of herbal spice and graphite that will leave no question as to whether a second or third glass is in the cards. 

The Rutherford bench is behind many of Napa’s pinnacle Cabs. It’s so consistently ahead of the pack that Wine Spectator said “If you had to pick one section within Napa Valley to buy Cabernet from exclusively, Rutherford would be at the top of the list.” Chaix has long been one of the region’s most reliable growers and now, one of its premier producers too. 

The Chaix 2016 Cab shows all the hallmark nuance and aromatic depth of Napa’s brilliant 2016 vintage, and its 22-month rest in 60% new French oak only adds to its tantalizing complexity.