2019 Rubia Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

The husband and wife team of Joe and Margaret Valenzuela seem fated to make wine together. They met in fifth grade, married when they were 21, and after successful careers in the legal industry, threw themselves into this project. Their level of hands-on dedication is truly rare in Napa Valley: Margaret completed U.C. Davis’ Winemaking Certificate Program, and Joe worked harvest at B Cellars in Oakville. Turning to Julien Fayard to consult on this project shows the couple’s considerable acumen.

Fayard’s years working with Philippe Melka and consulting for top-tier wineries helped him cement relationships with A-list growers. Now, Fayard’s Rolodex includes the elite and the iconic, such as Beckstoffer To Kalon, Missouri Hopper, Georges III, and Sugarloaf. He works with the best terroir and nothing less, no matter who he’s consulting for.

The structured, bright, Howell Mountain portion of this Cabernet comes from Olivian, a 1-acre postage stamp of a vineyard near CADE, and the rich, heady Calistoga personality comes from Jones Family, a vineyard planted by superstar David Abreu, once owned by the Araujos, and managed by the highly regarded Jim Barbour. Both sites are as good as it gets.

While his California consulting work has unlocked some incredible sources, Fayard’s winemaking philosophy follows the lessons he learned during his time working at Château Lafite-Rothschild and Château Smith Haut Lafitte: hyper-focused attention to detail and restraint in the cellar. 

Rubia’s 2019 Napa Valley Cabernet has all of the gravitas and sex appeal you’d expect from that kind of provenance. Antonio Galloni agreed, calling it “a boisterous, heady wine loaded with character and personality.” Each bottle in your case will develop beautifully for a decade or more.