2019 Bell Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Atlas Peak Napa Valley 750 ml

We have a history with Bell Wine Cellars that goes back decades, and the first vintages we sold from them date back to the early 1990s! That speaks volumes about the level of quality these wines deliver for the money. Wine Access members demand that we keep coming back for more, year after year. 

In 1977, Anthony Bell, a South African viticulturist, arrived in Napa Valley. He soon landed an interview at Beaulieu Vineyards with the legendary André Tchelistcheff. Tchelistcheff—impressed by Bell’s education and enthusiasm—hired him on the spot, naming him assistant winemaker and viticulturist at BV, where he stayed for 15 years and became well known for his research into Cabernet Sauvignon clones. Bell founded his eponymous wine label in 1991, and in 2002, he took on the Spanos and Berberian families as partners. 

They own the winery today, and hand-picked winemaker John Hazak after Bell retired in 2018. Hazak spearheaded luxury Cabernet production at Provenance and then BV, before being lured away to join Bell and making the blending decisions for this wine. 

Elan Vineyard has shallow volcanic soils and intense diurnal temperature swings—there’s a reason that Kongsgaard set up shop down the road. The Cabernet is low-yielding and has tiny berries, making for intense wines with profoundly layered flavors and aromas: A beautiful nose of cassis, black cherry, and graphite is layered with lavender, crushed herbs, and toasted cedar. The wine is powerful and structured yet refined, with plenty of dark fruit alongside espresso, dark chocolate, and Atlas Peak’s signature minerality.

This wine has got a long life ahead of it. We recommend checking in on it every few years.