2018 The Ringer Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is sold out.

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$650 Cult Napa Source + NDA = $35 Steal

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    2018 The Ringer Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

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    Sign up to receive notifications when wines from this producer become available.
    • Curated by unrivaled experts
    • Choose your delivery date
    • Temperature controlled shipping options
    • Get credited back if a wine fails to impress

    From One of Napa’s Most “Fashionable” Vineyards Comes an Unmistakable Value

    We can’t print what we said when we hung up the phone after scoring the Cabernet deal that would become The Ringer, but the FCC-scrubbed version would be, “Oh my.”

    Our initial paper-napkin business model was built on pie-in-the-sky scenarios like this: Let’s say the legendary X cult winery overshoots its yields one vintage, but wants to ensure total anonymity when they sell their grapes. Who do they call? Wine Access. 

    With this unbelievable coup, that hypothetical is reality.

    The $500+ winery source for The Ringer is among the cult titans of Napa Valley, which you could count on one hand. Robert Parker crowned this multiple 100-point icon “one of the wines that redefines greatness in Cabernet Sauvignon” while Vinous called it “one of Napa Valley’s most fashionable and expensive cult wines”—which is why it has a mailing list that Midas himself couldn’t get on unless he knew a guy. 

    We do happen to know a guy, and while we wish we could get every Wine Access member on that ultra-exclusive roster, we have the next best thing for collectors and value hunters alike—a taste from this cult powerhouse for a whopping 95% less.

    Given its $35 price, our only choice was to name this Cabernet “The Ringer.” With all the thrilling terroir that makes its big brother so uniquely perfumed, the mountain fruit aromas of boysenberry, blackberry, wild raspberry, and blueberry continue on a structured palate that is the definition of delicious. 

    Opulent yet impeccably balanced, with beautifully integrated tannins and a mouthwatering freshness that belies its incredible depth, the welcome kiss of dark chocolate on the finish seals the impression that this is a ringer indeed—for a much more expensive wine. It would serve as an exquisite introduction to its home estate’s standard-setting Cab, if only our ironclad NDA didn’t preclude us from sharing its source. 

    Trust us on this one—ignorance is bliss. 

    Our close relationship with the producer dovetailed with the “picture perfect” 2018 vintage, which produced a serious bumper crop that made this deal possible. From its magnificent western-facing perch, the estate’s rocky, volcanic soils rarely exceed 1,000 cases of Cabernet.

    The overwhelming demand grew to cult status when Parker urged his readers to get on the mailing list after tasting just the second vintage of this “reference point” estate, which has attracted winemaking talent like Michel Rolland, Helen Turley, and Helen Keplinger over the years. It also boasts a world-renowned viticulturist famous for elevating top terroirs to cult status, and it’s incredible how palpable his work is in this $35 bottle. 

    Compared to more recent vintages, 2018 in Napa was calm and uniformly excellent, without heat spikes or late surprises. Slow and steady ripening filled grapes to the brim with vibrancy and power, with Cabernet in particular showing effortless balance. Crop levels came in often 20% higher than expected.

    Which was right around the time our phone started ringing. 

    Though collectors will undoubtedly enjoy trying to guess at The Ringer’s mountain source—and we’ll never tell—all wine lovers should take note of this incredible opportunity to own cases from one of Napa Valley’s most iconic estates.