2018 Provenance Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 750 ml

The way we got our foot in the door with Provenance illustrates why there’s no substitute for living in Napa Valley. 

We were at Rutherford Grill, the famed hub of the wine business, and noticed that the group next to ours was deep into a tasting. Needless to say, we peeked: Every bottle was from Provenance Vineyards, the stellar winery situated just a mile up the road, where it rubs shoulders with Rutherford heavyweights like Alpha Omega, Grgich, and Peju. 

A member of our wine team made the approach. He came back quickly, without business cards and without bottles, so we assumed his effort had been a flop. Until ten minutes later, when the crew next to us—which turned out to be the Provenance winemaking team—got up to leave. They stopped at our table to drop a business card, plus an armload of bottles. 

Provenance, since their founding in 1999, has always focused on its Rutherford wines, plus some prestigious “Regional Exclusive” and single-vineyard bottlings that start at $115. But as they acquired more vineyard holdings in the famed Oakville “Golden Rectangle” and on top of Howell Mountain and Diamond Mountain, they decided to make a wine bearing the larger Napa Valley label.

It’s a great addition to their lineup, and to say that this wine showcases power, structure density, and depth is an understatement. Full-bodied and rich, the Cabernet has a velvety texture and well-integrated tannins, which provide structure without overpowering. It will develop nicely well into the next decade.