One glance at Britt Nichols' resume and it’s no wonder that her Napa Valley Cabernet is as great as it is; she’s learned from the best. A quick gig at Chappellet was her launching pad. From there, she spent time at Jordan Winery and Keller Estate. Her education on the finer side of Napa Cabernet came with time at Peter Michael, working under Nicholas Morlet. Her time with Morlet was spent focused on Les Pavots, one of California’s Grand Crus, learning how to balance power with finesse, which is always the difference between good and great with Cabernet. Her current stop on the Napa ladder to greatness is with Philippe Melka, one of the top winemakers in Napa Valley, making scores of highly-rated, cult Cabs.

For her Napa Valley Cabernet, Britt chose a precariously-positioned vineyard on the eastern ridge of the Valley with a western exposure, at the foot of Atlas Peak near Soda Canyon. It’s an incredibly rocky vineyard, with high drainage and low fertility, creating tiny berries of intense concentration. This is the source of the magic in Nichols Cab; this powerfully fruity, dark, blackberry fruit, tinged with mocha and espresso. But here’s the part that makes this wine special: it is elegant, aromatically complex, and even better on day two. The balance of the wine is superb: powerful and rich yet polished and finessed. There is plenty of structure and intensity suggesting it will continue to improve and develop. Enjoy with a grilled rib-eye steak served with a shiitake mushroom chimichurri or a garlic and herb-rubbed butterflied leg of lamb.