2017 Hidden Ridge Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County 750 ml

The 2017 Hidden Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County is available at an exclusive price for Wine Access members—by necessity. If a California bottling this coveted were made more available to the general public at this spree-friendly price, the result would be an instant sellout.  

But even the critics can’t get their hands on today’s spectacular single-vineyard offer, because Wine Access members are getting access first at just $45 per bottle. As Robert Parker said of Hidden Ridge: “These are clearly world-class Cabernets and should be considered by any serious collector for their cellars.” And our value price is about half the price of most Cabernets that come from along Spring Mountain Road. 

A benchmark of mountain excellence, this Cabernet is crafted by 100-point winemaker Timothy Milos from an incredible, remote vineyard perched high in the Mayacamas range. A deep, dense ruby color hints at the power in this wine, rolling out a red carpet for shimmering aromas of cassis, dark chocolate, sagebrush, and earth. High-pile, powerful tannins support notes of earth and bright minerality—a trademark of this site—lending fine complexity to big, bold flavors. 

We’re taking advantage of this offer ourselves, buying by the case and planning to pull one cork now and the rest over the next decade, to enjoy how the power of this velvet-smooth beast evolves. With other bottlings from the Hidden Ridge site winning scores in the 97-100 point range, this is a shortcut up the mountain at a price that has no competition.

The vineyard—whose grapes go into Immortal Estate, which runs to $303—is legendary in Sonoma winemaking circles. The name comes from the 2,400-foot peaks that cloister the vineyard, concentrating heat within this hidden pocket even as they protect the 20-year-old vines from heavy winds. The terrain here is so remote and rugged—with vertigo-inducing slopes—that the 50 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon can only be accessed via four-wheel-drive trucks and helicopters.

While the surroundings are dramatic, it’s in the stuff beneath your boots where magic really happens. Thin, rocky soils, layered with complex alluvium and volcanic shale, force vines to distribute root networks deep underground in search of water and nutrients. The soil’s infertility also stresses the vines, redirecting resources and energy away from vegetative growth and toward immaculate ripening. Come harvest, tiny, dense berries are hand-picked off these forbidding slopes, endowed with broad mountain tannins and dense, dark fruit.

The folks behind the vineyard know how much love Wine Access members have shown for these Cabernets, both with their wallets and reviews. Today we get to celebrate that loyalty with a special price that would have others kicking down the door.