2023 Courtney Benham Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

Courtney Benham has been one of our best deals in Napa Cabernet for nearly as long as Wine Access has existed—and his 2023 Cab keeps that streak going in spectacular fashion. 

Former Wine Advocate chief and Master of Wine Lisa Perrotti-Brown called 2023 a "Once in a Lifetime" vintage—and Benham and 100-point winemaker Keith Emerson have captured that magic in a bottle that punches far above its price point.

This vintage draws from some of Napa's most prestigious terroirs: Diamond Mountain, Rutherford, Mt. Veeder, Oak Knoll, and Calistoga. These sites produce Cabernet with remarkable depth and structure—the kind of fruit that typically commands prices several multiples higher.

We've long speculated about what Benham and Emerson had to do to pull this rabbit out of their hat, but there's nothing sinister going on here—just decades of hard-earned Napa experience meeting one of the brightest winemaking talents in the Valley.

Connections and long-term contracts are the fruit of Benham's long career producing top-rated bottles. Raised on a family farm in Bakersfield, he learned the wine business from his father. Since the 1980s, he's been one of California's savviest operators, racking up countless 90+ scores across multiple estates.

The Courtney Benham brand is a collaboration with Emerson, who earned his 100-point stripes with the Vineyard 29’s $300 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Emerson also crafts big, critically acclaimed mountain wines for Robert Craig, meaning his bottles typically fetch at least $100—except for Benham’s project.

Benham and Emerson's partnership has yielded a string of incredible bargains, and this 2023—with its layers of dark plum and blackberry, velvety tannins, and luxurious texture—fully displays the rare level of value this winery offers, especially in a vintage that comes around once in a lifetime.