2016 Karo-Kann Cabernet Sauvignon Calistoga Napa Valley 750 ml

Since winemaker Britt Nichols’ latest Karo-Kann bottling hit the big time last August with a glowing, full-page endorsement in Napa Valley Life magazine, it’s been near-impossible to keep this classically-styled Cab in stock. 

This is textbook Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that delivers serious quality for the insanely reasonable price of $30 per bottle—a steal considering it’s sourced from the high-end Calistoga AVA, where triple-digit prices don’t get a second look. At just $30 and $28 per bottle on cases, you’ll be looking to pop a Karo-Kann cork every night of the week.

Karo-Kann wasn’t hurting for the validation—after five vintages, the Wine Access site is stacked with four- and five-star reviews from ecstatic members. But when your neighborhood Cabernet competition is Chateau Montelena, Diamond Creek Vineyards, and Frank Family, and a Napa Valley publication singles your wine out for a full-page article... well, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. 

Here’s why the 2016 Karo-Kann Cabernet Calistoga Napa Valley is such a hit, with Wine Access and beyond: Sourced from alluvial and sedimentary soils in the Calistoga AVA, it’s a rich and vibrant Cabernet with deep red and black fruit, aromatics of whole vanilla pod, clove, and cinnamon stick, and gorgeously integrated sweet oak spice.

Britt always tells us that she doesn’t have any secrets, just vineyard sources she can’t (or we can’t) tell you about. But we can tell you that the site that produced the lion’s share of the fruit that composes her excellent 2016 Calistoga Cabernet has become one of the most admired and written-about in the state. The soil types vary from alluvial to sedimentary, and the terrain ranges from valley floor sections to steep hillsides. That means, like a chef choosing her spices from a well-stocked cabinet, Britt had a slew of varied expressions at hand with which to build this gorgeous Cabernet. 

Britt’s is no carbon copy of the flagship wine that made her Calistoga source vineyard famous. She’s put her own unique spin on it, crafting a wine that pays homage to the stellar terroir, but bears her expert fingerprints—a huge plus, considering her experience working at marquee properties like Chappellet and Jordan, and alongside 100-point winemaker Philippe Melka. 

Britt’s vision is clear, concise, and comes through deliciously with every sip of this wine. It’s an expressive Calistoga Cabernet that doesn’t break the bank, and in this day and age, that’s flat-out newsworthy. That value is what drew Napa Valley Life to Britt Nichols and her 2016 Karo-Kann Cabernet, and it’s exactly what should make you clear some space in your wine fridge. Like the legions of Wine Access members who have lavished praise on Britt and Karo-Kann, you’ll be glad you did.