2017 Kahler Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Napa Valley 750 ml

A big, bold, magnificent expression of Oakville, the 2017 Kahler Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon is a rare entry point into privileged terroir, an exception to the rule that you’ll find only at Wine Access—our exclusive, and quite the Napa coup.

Some will say that you can’t put a price on the great Oakville wines. Full of tension and vivacity, armed with an intellectual complexity born of the appellation’s diverse terroirs, they are among the most sought-after bottles in Napa.

Of course, they do come with a price—usually starting in the $100 range and going up from there. But we found a loophole that will put some of the most luscious, intensely flavored grapes of the region in your cellar for a spectacular value—just $35 a bottle.

We know Kahler Cellars, having sold a number of their wines before, and we know they have access to some of the best vineyards in Oakville—a level of insider reach that rivals our own. The previous wines that Wine Access members snapped up in droves yielded glowing reviews.

“This beat out Caymus in our view with prime rib roast New Year’s Eve!” wrote one fan of Kahler’s rich Cabernet. “Wonderful!” Another raved over the “hard to beat price point.”

Kahler’s team knew just where to look in 2017, zeroing in on the pockets in Oakville that overperformed the most, focusing on hillside vineyards and mountain grapes. Deep ruby in color, spilling over with heady aromas of blackberry, mocha, and pie spice, this is generous and full-bodied, sculpted with suave, fine tannins. Sweet creamy oak fills the palate, as black cherry and black raspberry transform slowly into Tahitian vanilla and clove on the finish.

$110 off the Kahler website. A whopping 68% off for you. You could spend three years hunting around Oakville and not find another under-$40 deal like this one.

We visited the Oakville vineyard this bottle is primarily sourced from under memorable circumstances a few years back. We were leading a tasting group on a day trip through the appellation when our bus broke down. We happened to be within walking distance of the estate, and decided to stroll over to see if they would accommodate an unannounced stop. The folks there couldn’t have been kinder—and the wines couldn’t have impressed us more, full of the mineral richness and nervy tension that define the Oakville character.

Our group loved the lineup too, putting in orders by the case. When we got the call that the bus was fixed, and that we could just make it to our next scheduled tasting if we gunned it, we got permission to cut through the vineyard—the quickest route. It was early spring after a rainy period, the air was fresh and cool, the sun was clear, and the soil was damp and fragrant, allowing us to viscerally experience the essence of the thick, red, ferrous clay. It’s that trademark calcareous soil that invests the wines here in Oakville with their powerful structure, but also their liveliness.

The mud stuck on our boots, and the memory stuck in our minds. Today, Oakville red gold comes at a bargain—a $110 value at an unbeatable $35 price.