Teeter-Totter Wines - Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

Founded in 2011 by French-born winemaker Benoit Touquette and his wife, Nikita, Teeter-Totter Wines is a Napa Valley project built around a simple idea: exceptional wine does not have to take itself too seriously—or come with an intimidating price tag. Born in Lyon and formally trained at the University of Bordeaux, where he earned master’s degrees in Chemistry and Oenology, Benoit brought his Bordeaux training to Napa Valley, where he worked alongside some of the region’s most influential winemakers before establishing himself as one of the valley’s sought-after winemakers and consultants. He later became winemaker and partner at Realm Cellars while developing his own Teeter-Totter label, giving him an unusually broad perspective on Napa’s vineyards. Rather than relying on a single estate site, Benoit hand-selects fruit from distinguished vineyards throughout the valley, including sites in St. Helena, Yountville, Rutherford and Calistoga, with Cabernet Sauvignon at the heart of the collection. His approach combines the structure and precision of his Bordeaux training with the generosity and expressive fruit that Napa does so well, resulting in wines that are polished and serious while remaining remarkably inviting and easy to enjoy.

Teeter Totter’s 2022 Cabernet opens with an invitingly deep expression of ripe blackberry and blackcurrant, lifted by violet, cedar and a subtle graphite-like minerality. The palate is rich and supple, with layers of black cherry, cassis and dark plum framed by polished tannins and a fresh mineral streak that keeps the wine from feeling heavy. Hints of cocoa, savory spice and tobacco emerge toward the finish, which is long, smooth and quietly powerful. This is a Cabernet with plenty of richness but enough freshness and structure to make it exceptionally versatile at the table. Enjoy with grilled ribeye, braised short ribs, beef tenderloin with mushrooms, wild mushroom pasta, lamb chops or aged Gouda.