2017 Anatomy No. 1 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

Our friend Jeff is known for two things: his twelve-hour-smoked brisket and his unmatched insight into Napa’s hidden treasures. Everyone at his party was waiting for him to pull out a bottle, hoping to get in on a rare find. He gave us the first pours of this deep ruby beauty, and as we tasted its cassis and dark chocolate depths, he said, “I’m giving you a head start.”

Jeff knew we’d been waiting three years for another allocation of Anatomy No. 1, ever since Wine Access members devoured our last allocation, reporting that the wine “plays well above its price range.” This 2017 is absolutely worth the wait, boasting a power and complexity way above its SRP, let alone our price.

Anatomy No. 1 is an artisanal bottling grown on two tiny sites that typically contribute to $100+ mailing-list-only Cabs for Hesperian. It’s even made by the very same winemaker, which means it’s got everything going for it that those bottles do... well, except the price. 

This passion project wine is loaded with trademark Napa richness and lush fruit, plus power and a mineral depth akin to Left Bank standouts. You won’t find the 2017 online. Unless you have hookups in Napa’s inner circles, you’ll only find it right here.

This is the singular vision of Rothschild-trained winemaker Philippe Langner. He’s a one-man show at Anatomy No. 1, handling every aspect of production from budbreak to bottle. His world-class touch and meticulous care are why many of the wines in his boutique portfolio retail for $100 and above. It’s the kind of hyper-focused attention to detail that rarely accompanies an under-$50 price.

Phil crafts Anatomy in large part from the two-acre Upstream Vineyard in Coombsville. The region has captivated some of Napa’s top talents, who are drawn to the constant cleansing breezes from the San Pablo Bay, which help prolong the growing season and allow Cabernet grapes to ripen fully while maintaining fresh natural acidity. The second site, the four-acre Eagle’s Nest on Monticello Road, boasts well-draining soils on gravelly terraces, producing richly concentrated Cabernet.

After 18 months in French oak, Phil gives the wine more time in the bottle than most Napa estates, a practice that’s rarely seen at this price point. The resulting wine is deep and layered, and had us musing about it for days.

We find plenty of great wines at marathon tastings, but our most surefire spot for under-the-radar values is casual barbecues. That’s where friends of friends pour from bottles we might never see again, and Napa winemakers show off their interesting, nowhere-else passion projects. This is one of those wines, so we recommend planning accordingly.