2018 Picayune Cellars Padlock Proprietary Red Blend Napa Valley 750 ml

Six years ago, we had to fight off the likes of Gramercy Tavern and The French Laundry for our first tiny allocation of Picayune’s Padlock red. We’ve muscled out others for bigger and bigger allotments every year since, but the Picayune fan base always grows faster. 

A wine that’s earned member-reviews that put it on par with Napa icons like TOR and fan-favorites like Hidden Ridge, the 2018—from a Napa vintage that ranks among the greatest ever—is one of the best bottles Picayune has ever put forth, with a combination of richness and elegance that few wines from Napa match.

That’s thanks to vintner Claire Weinkauf, whose résumé is as diverse as it is impressive. After earning a wine degree in Chile and working harvests in Saint-Émilion, she met 100-point winemaker Paul Hobbs, who hired her at the renowned Viña Cobos in Argentina and his own California winery. With Picayune, she’s called on her formidable network to secure some of the most coveted grapes in Napa for this bold red blend. 

The name “Padlock” refers to the hush-hush Napa sources of Picayune’s first-rate grapes, which Weinkauf keeps shrouded in secrecy to preserve the wine’s amazing value. Thanks to her myriad connections and an extraordinary and bountiful vintage, she had no problem finding the exquisite Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec that make up the 2018 Padlock.

Aged 15 months in French oak, this wine is kissed by Napa sunshine but structured like a Bordelaise red. It’s both accessible and contemplative—a seductive bottle we find ourselves reaching for again and again, without a second thought. You will too.