2023 Gibbs Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Three Clones St. Helena 750 ml

The 2023 Gibbs Three Clones Cabernet Sauvignon is a bit of an anomaly: In any sane marketplace, Cabernet from prime St. Helena vineyard sources simply should not be available at this price.

Consider what the neighbors are getting for their wines. The Gibbs comes from two vineyards: the Centa Vineyard, near Hourglass ($200) and Revana ($185), plus Cross Creek, which is across Bell Creek from Hundred Acre’s Ark Vineyard ($700). We’re a bit worried that Gibbs won’t stay a secret for long.  

Grown by a third-generation family whose vineyards have supplied grapes to 100-point estates like Cakebread and Chappellet, this wine delivers a powerful statement of St. Helena terroir. 

It’s the kind of overperforming Cabernet that was once common around Napa Valley but is now almost impossible to find at anything less than a luxury price. Showing a decadent, dark-fruited bouquet and focused poise that couldn’t come from anywhere but Napa, you won’t believe you paid just $35 for this wine—not when most other St. Helena Cabernets of this caliber cost at least $100.

The reason why Gibbs can pull off an outstanding deal like this goes back to the very origins of the estate. A farmer and psychologist, Dr. Lewis Gibbs Carpenter, Jr., acquired the property back when Napa was better known for growing nuts than grapes. In the 1970s, he gradually started replanting orchard land to Bordeaux varieties. His son-in-law, Craig, began helping make wine there in 2000. When Gibbs passed away in 2013, Craig and his son Spencer started the brand as a tribute to him.

Because the vineyards and operations have been in family hands for so long, the winery doesn’t have the kind of capital costs that a newer label would—and they pass the savings onto their customers. For the level of renown attached to this wine, it could surely sell for multiples more.

This cuvée is named for the three clones of Cabernet grown on the two vineyards, lending the wine its depth and complexity: 6, 15, and 337. The historic Centa Vineyard, first planted in the 1880s, is located near the Mayacamas mountain range in St. Helena, at the “bottleneck” of the upper Valley. The Cross Creek Vineyard—the original property acquired by Lewis Gibbs—lies at the base of Howell Mountain.

Agricultural at heart, the family behind Gibbs remains laser-focused on the grapes and keeps prices reasonable—making this a one-of-a-kind, downright unbelievable deal. Do not hesitate to take advantage.