2018 Courtney Benham Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District Napa Valley 750 ml

The 2018 Courtney Benham Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District is a spectacular Cabernet from a legendary producer—and one of the most overdelivering sub-AVAs of Napa Valley.

Spring Mountain, located high in the Mayacamas Mountains in the northwest portion of Napa Valley, is the area that wineries like Pride, Keenan, Barnett, and Smith-Madrone made famous. Vintner Courtney Benham and winemaker Keith Emerson have parlayed that exquisite terroir into a stunner of a Cabernet, showing a dark ruby color, rich aromas of black fruit and pipe tobacco, and a powerful, juicy palate built on chewy but elegant tannins. 

There was a time when we would speculate about what Courtney Benham and his 100-point winemaker Keith Emerson had to do to pull rabbits like this out of their hat. Then we realized that nothing supernatural was going on here—just decades of hard-earned Napa experience meeting one of the brightest winemaking talents in the valley. Fruit sources are a huge part of their formula for success, and Benham’s long career of producing top-rated wines pays dividends in prime connections and long-term contracts.

Raised on a family farm in Bakersfield, Benham learned the wine business from his father. Since the 1980s, he’s become one of California’s savviest operators, racking up countless 90+ scores across multiple estates. His namesake brand was born of his partnership with Keith Emerson, who earned his 100-point stripes with the 2013 Vineyard 29 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, and whose handiwork typically fetches at least $100 a bottle. He brings all his talents to bear in this bottle—and every sip proves it.