2019 Nichols Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville Napa Valley 750 ml

Winemaker Britt Nichols’ résumé speaks for itself. After a stint at Jordan winery, she landed one of the most sought-after cellar jobs in the valley at Peter Michael, assisting Nicolas Morlet in making the iconic 2010 Les Pavots. A year later, Nichols was recruited by Philippe Melka, the Bordeaux émigré who Robert Parker named “one of the nine most influential winemaker consultants in the world.” 

While working under Melka, Britt was introduced to the stunning cooler climate Cabernet Sauvignons grown on Coombsville’s volcanic ash soils in the foothills of the Vaca mountains. That serendipitous introduction led directly to today’s Nichols Cabernet Sauvignon. It's a suave, nuanced release that dwarfs its luxe neighbors in the price department.

It’s been years since Britt shared a new Cabernet release with Wine Access members, and there’s no better introduction (or re-introduction) to the brand than this tightly wound, powerful Cab.

“The beauty of Coombsville,” Britt explained to us recently, “is in the combination of gravelly loam and volcanic ash soils, coupled with cool airflow off the San Pablo Bay. Daytime highs are between seven and ten degrees lower than the rest of Napa Valley. Particularly in hot years, we can pick a week or two later than elsewhere in the valley with no concern for overripeness. To be honest, in 2019, I got lucky. This is a textbook vintage for the AVA.”

The spring of 2019 was cool and wet, creating a healthy water table, an event that would pay handsome dividends once the clouds gave way to bright sunshine. While the summer months were largely free of the torrid heat spikes that have plagued recent vintages, from mid-June to late September, most of the valley was bathed in hot sunshine without a drop of rain, triggering an early call to harvest. 

But on the cooler hillsides of Coombsville, from which Nichols drew this brilliant new release, the Cabernet Sauvignon was left to hang for two more weeks. Tight-fisted bunches littered with tiny berries of high skin-to-juice ratio were harvested on October 7, explaining this gorgeous wine’s terrific dark fruit intensity, silken texture, and suave tannins. 

Is this Britt’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon to date? We think so. Compared to more than $100 per bottle from the Coombsville elite—today, it’s a steal. This Wine Access Napa Valley member-favorite is back and not to be missed.