2017 Favia Carbone Red Wine Napa Valley 750 ml

Officially, I was at Andy Erickson and Annie Favia’s Coombsville property as CEO of Wine Access. But as soon as they handed me a glass of the 2017 Carbone Red Wine—and I took in the aromas of dark fruit touched with anise, then tasted the layered black-fruit palate countered by grilled woodsy herbs, new leather, and toast—I was there, 100%, as a fan. 

I’ve loved every wine I’ve tasted of Annie and Andy’s, which is why, when I heard Vanessa was headed out to visit their Coombsville property, I told her I’d drive. Because in my opinion, the greatest Napa Cabernets do the impossible by balancing density with grace, fruit intensity with complex herbal notes, and near-term drinkability with fantastic cellar potential—and few do it better than Favia Carbone. 

It’s no surprise, considering the wines the couple has been behind over the years. Andy worked with John Kongsgaard at Newton, before Bob Levy of Harlan scooped him up to make BOND. Later he became the winemaker at Ovid, Arietta, Screaming Eagle, and Dalla Valle. Annie’s resume is every bit as impressive: She’s helped shepherd many great Napa Valley vineyards, including Screaming Eagle and Mayacamas.

Having put out some of Napa Valley’s most incredible triple-digit-priced wines and racked up 100-point scores and countless accolades, Andy and Annie are now settled on their Coombsville ranch—they’re in charge of every last detail, and making the exact wines they want to make. Their 2017 Carbone Red Wine drinks like red wines at twice the price, and since they made fewer than 850 cases, we feel fortunate to have this allocation. It's just $75 per bottle. 

After seeing their ranch in Coombsville, the west-facing U-shaped nook nestled at the foot of the Vaca Mountains east of town, it’s easy to see what Andy and Annie found so appealing. Fruit trees surround the old Victorian house (I had to duck some branches), and there are gardens and vines everywhere you look.

Andy and Annie have painstakingly restored the house that an Italian family with the surname Carbone built here in 1886. In that original home—where Andy and Annie now live—is also a tiny one-room ground-floor cellar that has been fully updated, and is where all Favia wines are produced. 

While restoring the house and winery, Andy and Annie found old letters and artifacts from the Carbone family tucked away in nooks and crannies. One piece of paper held the Carbone family crest—the three comets that are now on the Carbone label. “We really care about this valley, and this site,” Andy told us. “To be able to restore it to some glory and bring it into the next century is really an honor.”

Annie added: “I want to know that everything I do is having a positive long-term reaction.” That’s why, under her meticulous watch, the grapes for the Carbone wines are sustainably farmed.

The 2017 Carbone Red Wine is a perfect expression of Andy and Annie’s ethos, and their incredible skills. Dominated by rich and deep Cabernet Sauvignon, it’s rounded out with beautifully aromatic Cabernet Franc. This is exactly the kind of red wine that made Napa Valley what it is, made Andy and Annie superstars in the Valley—and made me a massive fan from the start. 

I was, as a lover of great Napa Valley wines, thrilled to visit the property. Now I’m thrilled that Wine Access can share this small-production, hard-to-find wine with you today. I can’t wait for you to try it.