The Vice, Napa Valley (California) Cabernet Sauvignon “The Dragon” 2022 ($38)

Jan 22, 2025

By Vince Simmon
Wine label

Malek Amrani founded The Vice along with his wife, Torie Greenberg, in 2016 at the age of 33. If you think that is an accomplishment, he had already earned his Level-3 Sommelier certification, started his own import company, and trained for triathlons with Team USA before starting a winery. The Vice focuses on making high-end, low intervention wines with minimal sulfites. The Dragon is an impressive wine with big Napa power and dark complex fruit structure. The Dragon is sourced from a single, unnamed vineyard situated at 800 feet in elevation, with 100% Clone 8 Cabernet Sauvignon, and made with small batches that use only 8 new French oak barrels. The Dragon then sees 8 months of oak aging followed by 8 months of time in bottle before sale. The wine’s complexity and structure are perfect for further aging. If you want to keep up with the lucky-number-eight theme, open this vintage in 2030, on its 8-year anniversary.

Country / Region

California

Appellation

Napa Valley

Grape Variety

Cabernet Sauvignon

Color

Red

Vintage

2022

Score

94

Price

US $ 38

Producer

The Vice