2022 Method Cabernet Sauvignon California 750 ml

If you are in the wine business in Northern California—or if you’ve seen the movie Somm—you know the name Ian Cauble. He first gained fame as one of the aspiring Master Somms in that seminal documentary, and he’s since earned a reputation as a savvy all-around player in the wine world. Retail, online, club, Ian Cauble, MS (yes, he passed the test) has done it all. 

Method is the label under which Cauble makes and bottles some of the biggest values you’ll see in California. Needless to say, with decades in the trade, the guy has some spectacular vineyard connections. That is compounded by the fact that his partner in Method is none other than Trevor Sheehan, who is behind some of the greatest Cabernet values that Wine Access members have ever seen: Gait, Decoded, Timeline, the list goes on. 

Their 2022 Method Cabernet bears a California AVA on the label, but these Sonoma and Napa denizens didn’t go far to find fruit: They leaned on Napa Valley to supply the Cabernet that makes up 85% of the blend, topping it off with Sonoma County Petite Sirah. They aged the wine in 60% new oak and 40% neutral, which smoothed out the tannins and gave it a beautiful toasty note. 

Are we saying you should pass on Ridge’s legendary Estate Cab or Cliff Lede’s iconic Poetry for this wine? Of course not. But the fact that this bottle shares a score with those wines makes it quite plain that this wine is worth WAY MORE than its price suggests. Just for fun, imagine how great of a bargain this would still be at twice the price.