2019 Courtney Benham Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford Napa Valley 750 ml

Rutherford is famous for its dusty soils and seductive, aromatic wines—names like Caymus, Scarecrow, Quintessa, and Staglin have all contributed to the AVA’s fame. Along with Oakville, it’s probably home to more $300+ bottles than anywhere else in Napa, so we’re curious anytime we can get wine from the heart of the appellation for less than $100.

But when the team behind the bottle is Courtney Benham and 100-point star Keith Emerson, we’re scrambling to secure every bottle we can. Emerson told us the source for his 2019 Courtney Benham Rutherford Cab, but he was clear: We couldn’t even name the farmer behind the site—it would give away too much.

So instead, we’ll say this: Rutherford Cabernet with this winemaking and vineyard pedigree—from a top vintage, no less—is a fantastic buy at the winery’s $80 tariff. At our price, it’s one of the Cab deals of the year.

These grapes are exactly what Benham and Emerson are searching for, but they only got enough to fill 16 barrels. Knowing where this comes from, it seems like a miracle they secured that much—Rutherford Cabernet like this comes with a waiting list on the vineyard side as much as it does from the cult-caliber wineries it supplies.

In the stellar 2019 vintage, they waited until mid-October to pick the Cabernet, allowing it to get to luscious ripeness that’s translated into velvety richness in the finished wine to match plenty of dark fruit on the palate and nose. Once the free-run juice drained and the grapes were pressed, they treated this to a luxurious 18-month stay in top-tier French oak, 45% of which was new for a polished sheen in the mouthfeel.