2018 Ideology Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Oak Knoll District Napa Valley 750 ml

Wine Spectator called Ideology Cellars a “hidden gem in Napa Valley.” 

We’re proud to say that for the last few years, they have not been hidden to us. Our longtime members are well aware of their powerful, luscious Cabs—but we rarely get our hands on Ideology’s stunning estate-grown Reserve Cabernet.

Ideology’s 2018 Reserve—from a year Wine Spectator rated 99 points, the highest score ever in their vintage chart—is the finest, most collectible bottle we’ve tasted from this insider estate. A selection of the best barrels of the vintage, it’s generous and elegant, with a palate of rich dark fruit accented by graphite and cassis, leading to well-knit tannins that resolve in a long-lasting finish.

Most of it sells out through Ideology’s tasting room, where patrons who taste the wine have no problem paying $135 for bottles. But thanks to our longstanding friendship with proprietor Bob Williamson, we secured a MASSIVE discount.

Located just south of the famed Stags Leap District of Napa Valley, where alluvial soils provide ideal conditions for dense and concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon, Ideology produces limited releases that have been praised as “top-notch Napa Cabernet” and “high-class” by Robert Parker. 

We have our friend George to thank for introducing us to Ideology Cellars. It was one of those picture-perfect early summer nights, with thick steaks crackling on the grill and laughter floating on the breeze. 

There were a lot of incredible, big-name Napa Cabs open already—but the bottle of Ideology that George popped open made us forget about everything else on the table. The second he poured it into our glasses, it was clear we were in the presence of special stuff.