Maxville Winery, Napa Valley (California) Cabernet Sauvignon “The High Valley” 2022 ($45)

An impressive wine on its own terms, this is especially impressive as a very high-quality Napa Valley Cabernet for $45. That’s not pocket change, I grant, but it is well below the going rate for this variety from Napa. The blend is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petite Sirah, 1.5% Petit Verdot, and 1.5% Merlot, and though the flavor impact may be juked up a bit by the Petite Sirah component, the flavor profile isn’t off from the Cabernet standard at all. Blackberries and black currants are the fruits it first brings to mind, with well-integrated oak and reasonably rounded tannins. A deal, relatively speaking.
94 Michael Franz