Cab is the varietal we’ve tasted the most of. Probably because it’s the worlds most popular grape and it’s planted in many regions across the world. Generally, Cab is a full-bodied red wine with red fruit flavors, but each region produces a slightly different expression. In this post we’re focusing on California. As it’s one of California’s most planted grapes. One of the great things about Cab is that it can be enjoyed when it’s young or when it’s aged 10+ years. When you’re trying Cab’s be sure to look at the vintage and try out a range of young and older vintages to see what you like best.
Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
I first tried HALL Wines at a dinner during which Kathryn Hall (proprietor of HALL Wines) spoke about her experience as a Vintner, and the time she served as the United Sates Ambassador to Austria. At this dinner we were fortunate enough to try a variety of HALL (and Walt) wines, and ever since I’ve been hooked. I honestly haven’t tried a HALL wine that I didn’t like.
This Kathryn Hall Cab is a classic Napa Valley Cab, and it was SO GOOD. It’s one of those wines you dream about. It has a great mouth feel, bold, round, and velvety smooth. On the palate it exudes dark berries – blackberry, raspberry and boysenberry, and ends long finish espresso finish. This wine left me wanting more. Can’t wait to grab another bottle of this!
Josh Cellars Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon – (The Brown Label 😉)
For our top 5 picks we wanted to include a grocery store favorite and a super affordable bottle… hands down that’s going to Josh Cellars for us.
We picked the reserve cabernet sauvignon from their line up, it’s smooth with flavors of raspberry, coffee and vanilla and a beautiful dark ruby color. This is a wine that will hold up to a nice roast dinner, charcuterie board or even just a bite of chocolate and movie. At under $20 a bottle this is a complete steal and something that any cab lover will enjoy and appreciate.
Justin – Reserve Cabernet 2018
I was introduced to Justin wine from the hubs when we first met and I have been in love with it since. Now their regular cab is fantastic but their reserve cabernet is *chefs kiss* So. Dang. Good. This is my favorite 100% cab from Paso Robles 🍷
This wine has a beautiful deep ruby (almost purple) color that just screams drink me! The reserve cab is bold, silky and has a nice long finish. It has notes of blackberry, vanilla and cocoa (yum) which pairs so well with dark chocolate 🤤 This is really well balanced and we think that you’ll thoroughly enjoy it!
Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Cayums cab is one of those wines you can go to over and over and know exactly what you’re going to get. Normally I’d be here talking to you about a specific vintage, because generally every vintage tastes a bit different, and some vintages are expectational while others are just ok. Caymus however, has found the secret to producing a cab that has no bad vintages! We all need a reliable wine in our lives, and this is it. Lucky for all of us it’s also easily found in most liquor stores.
This cab is a traditional Napa cab – bold, dark, silky smooth, and full of dark fruit flavors. It’s an easy drinker and will definitely be a crowd pleaser.
Krupp Brothers Estates Veraison Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Everything else on this list are bottles of cab we reach for time and time again. While a good staple is necessary, we also love trying something new!
Krupp Brother’s is a new find for me, and the Veraison cab is a must try for any California cab enthusiasts. This wine is 81% cab, blended with 13% malbec and smaller portions of other Bordeaux varietals. It needed some time to open up but once it did it was fantastic! It’s fruit forward with blackberry, hints of chocolate, and a long rich finish.
I paired this cab with a rosemary rubbed steak, and it was to die for!
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