2018 Heir Apparent Proprietary Red Wine Napa Valley 750 ml

The 2018 Heir Apparent Red is the type of wine you’d only find floating around Napa’s inner circles—a limited-production project from a local winemaker who got their hands on some exceptional grapes. It’s the type of wine you’d sip slowly, savoring all of its concentration and silky polish.

Because you might not see it again. 

That’s why, after tasting what Jeb Dunnuck called a “pleasure-bent yet classic” red with a “wonderful sense of elegance,” we grabbed an allocation before most of its cases headed to restaurants and a loyal international following. 

Grown on exquisite sites in St. Helena and Coombsville during one of Napa’s most brilliant vintages ever, this bottle delivers supreme richness and sophistication. This is where powerlifting meets poetry—52% Cabernet Sauvignon delivers massive black fruit and berries, tempered by the dark-chocolate richness of Merlot and the spicy intricacy of Malbec. The Heir Apparent is pure Napa opulence with a complexity that nods to its exceptional terroir.  

The winemaker behind this bottle has connections to an arsenal of vineyard sources, and he’s no stranger to Wine Access member praise. He’s authored Napa reds that members have called “one of the best Wine Access wines I have had,” saying “I find myself needing a special occasion to drink it because I don’t want to run out.”

His connections proved indispensable in 2018, when everyone wanted a piece of this phenomenal  Napa Valley vintage. By the time harvest came around, winemakers were elbowing for small lots of Cabernet and Merlot—but our friend was already sitting pretty. He aged his Proprietary Red in 40% new French oak, conjuring beautiful spice notes to complement the concentrated fruit.